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THE 



EARLY CHRISTIAN FATHERS: 



MEMORIALS 



OF 



NINl DISTINGUISHED TEACHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 



THE PIRST THREE CENTURIES: 



INCLUDING THEIR 



Testimony to tte Tiree-Fold Ministry of the Church, 



■ The Fathers are in dust, yet live to God.' 



Lyra Apostolica. 



BY THE 

EEV. WILLIAM M, CARMICHAEL, D. D., 

EECTOR OF ST. THOMAS' HALL. 
FLUSHING, N. Y. 



NEW-YORK: 

ALEXANDER V. BLAKE, 77 FULTON-STREET. 



MDCCCXLIV. 







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-63 



% -^ 9'- •" 3 



7 



Ektered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1844, by 
ALEXANDER V. BLAKE, 
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of 
New- York. 



sSr *? 



i~ 



LiTDWIG, PBINTEB, 
72, Veeey-street. 



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/// 



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TO 

THE PARISHIONERS OP ST. GEORGE'S CHCTRCH, HEMPSTEAD, 

AND 
TRINITY CHAPEL, ROCKAWAY, L. I. ^ 

THIS VOIiUME, 

Originally Compiled for their use, and now Published with many Prayers 
for their good, 

IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED, 

BY THEIB rATB BBOTOR, 

THE AUTHOR, 



THE FATHERS 



" Hail, glorious Lights, kindled at God's own urn, 

Salt of the nations— whence the soul imbue 

Savours of Godliead, virtues pure and true, 

So that all die not — whence serenely burn 

In their bright orbs sure Truth and Virtue bold, 

Putting on virgin honours undefiled: 

Bounteous by you the world's Deliverer mild 

Of treasured wisdom deals His stores untold. 

Hail ! channels where the living waters flow. 

Whence the Redeemer's field shows fair, and glow 

The golden harvest: ye from realms above 

Bring meat for manly hearts, and milk for babes in love." 

Lyra Apostolica. 



PREFACE 



The author of the following work, has long been impressed with the idea, that 
if a short and faithful Biography were given of some of tlie most distinguished Fa- 
thers of the Primitive Church, in order to make us acquainted with their char- 
acter and worth, succeeded by those extracts which are generally quoted from 
their writings, in reference to the Sacred Orders of the Ministry, their testimony 
would be much better understood and appreciated than it oftentimes is. Not being 
aware of the existence of any such work, an attempt has been made, under many 
disadvantages, to produce one, which it is hoped, will fill up this chasm in the 
literature of the Church. 

It is not pretended, however, that any new matter has been discovered, to ren- 
der such an attempt absolutely essential, for that could hardly be expected ; but the 
object is to collect and arrange that which has long been deemed important, in the 
clearest possible light. In doing so, the author confesses that he has made a liber- 
al use, not only of the writings of such men as Cave and Kaye and Poole and 
others, which are not within the reach of ordinary readers, but also, that he has 
availed himself of whatever extracts he could find in any writer, which would 
tend to illustrate the subject or enhance the value of the work. In most cases, if 
not in all, due credit has been given. If any have been omitted, it is merely for the 
sake of brevity, since the original design was to give it as an appendix to another 
work ; but as this could not be done, without great inconvenience and still greater 
disadvantage to a proper exhibition of the facts, it has been allowed to assume its 
present form and size, perhaps, much beyond its merits. Still, as the subject is 
one of very great importance, no apology is offered, and certainly none demanded 



IV. PREFACE. 

fi om him, who sends it forth to the world as a Messenger of Truth, trusting that it 
may be the means, under God, however imperfect, of doing something, not only 
towards the dissemination of high and holy views respecting the essentials of our 
Faith, but clear and primitive views respecting the Polity of the Church, so that 
those who have long been wandering in the dark, and, perhaps, in bye and forbid- 
den paths, may, in the good providence of God, be brought back to the One Fold, 
and the one Shepherd, which is Jesus Christ our Lord. 

St. Thomas' Hall, 
Easter- Monday, Apn\ 8tli, 1844. 




CONTENTS. 



Introduction, 

Chapter 1.— Clement of Home, . 

" 2. — Ignatius, 

" 3.— Polycarp, 

" 4. — Irenaeus, 

" 5^ — Clement of Alexandria, 

« 6.— Tertullian, . 

" 7.— Origen, 

" 8.— Cyprian, 

♦' 9.— Cornelius, . 

« 10.— Eusebius, . 

" 11 , — Apostolical Successioh, 

" 12.— Heresy and Schism, 



PAGE. 

13 
17 

41 

77 
109 
139 
155 
181 
215 
259 
293 
345 

379 



it is evident unto all men, diligently 
reading holy scriptures and ancient au- 
thors, that from the apostles* time there 
have been these orders of ministers in 
Christ's church: bishops, priests, and dea- 
cons — which offices were evermore had IX 
SUCH reverent estimation, that no man 

MIGHT presume TO EXECUTE ANY OF THEM, 
EXCEPT HE WERE FIRST CALLED, TRIED, EXAM- 
INED, AND KNOWN TO HAVE SUCH QUALITIES AS 
ARE REQUISITE FOR THE SAME ; AND ALSO BY A 
PUBLIC PRAYER, WITH IMPOSITION OF HANDS* 
WERE APPROVED AND ADMITTED HEREUNTO BY 

LAWFUL AUTHORITY.— Preface to the Ord'l. 



NINE DISTINGUISHED PATHERS. 



PIRST CENTUHT. 

1. CLEMENS ROMANUS, Bishop of Rome. 

2. IGNATIUS THEGPHORUS, Bishop of Antidch. 

3. POLYCARP, Bishop of Smyrna. 

SECOND CENTUKT. 

4. IREN^US, Bishop of Lyons. 

5. CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS, Presbyter of Alexandria. 

6. aUIJNTUS TERTULLIAN, Presbyter of Carthage. 

THIRD CENTUBT. 

7. ORTGEN, Presbyter of Alexandria. 

8. CYPRIAN, Bishop of Carthage. 

9. CORNELIUS, Bishop of Rome. 



EPISCOPACY, 



" Mysterious harp of heaven-bom hannony ! 
Touch'd by th' all hallowing Spirit from above, 
Thou fill'st the Chiu-ch, else dead, with duteous love, 

Obedience, such as holds the hosts on high. 

And pure heaven-soothing order. Mortal eye 
Beholds not, nor can mortal hearing prove 
The musical soul which on thy chords doth move, 

Tempeiing to holiest union ; but the sky 
May catch the echo of the unearthly sound, 

For Christ himself, and his appointed few, 
Moulded the frame, and in the silvery bound 

Set all the glowing wires. Then potent grew, 
(Like that pale starry lyre twixt sea and cloud. 
Seen fitfully in Heaven when winds are loud,) 

The treasury of sweet sounds: deep aisle and fane 

Prolong, from age to age, the harmonious strain." 

The Cathedral. 



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to O Q) 




INTEODTJCTION, 



It may seem, to some, a work of supererogation, to 
adduce, at this late day, the writings of the Early Fa- 
thers, for the purpose of showing that the ministry of 
the Catholic and Apostolic Church was composed origi- 
nally of THREE DISTINCT ORDERS. For the imprcssion en- 
tertained by such is, that the subject has been so frequent- 
ly, so thoroughly, and so successfully presented to the 
public, by a series of the most intelligent and accom- 
plished writers for the last three hundred years, within 
the bosom of the Church, that there is not only no ne- 
cessity for it, but no reasonable hope, that any good can 
arise from a repetition of the same arguments and proofs. 

The writer of the present work, however, is far from be- 
lieving that an impression so limited in extent, and so 
at variance with truth, can be urged with any sort of 
propriety or force, against the defence of a scheme, 
which is still open to debate, and still subject to abuse ; 
and hence, in pursuing the course which he has, he con- 
soles himself with the reflection, that although he may 
not be able to enlighten those who are already well in- 
formed in regard to this matter, yet, he is constrained to 
believe, that there are multitudes in every town, and vil- 
lage, and hamlet in the land, who are utterly ignorant 
of the facts contained in this, or any other volume of 



14 INTRODUCTION. 

the same kind, and who will hail with delight any ef- 
fort, however humble, to dispel that ignorance, and in- 
struct them respecting the men and ministry of the 
Early Church<r This is his sole and only object^ and 
this he will endeavour to achieve, not by raillery or 
abuse, not by chicanery or deceit, but simply by the ex- 
hibition of such facts as he has been able to collect. By 
rejecting all extraneous matter, and especially that which 
is so apt to be engendered by parties in debate, the only 
point which he would ask the reader to examine is, 1st. 
whether there was one order of Ministers employed in 
the service of the Early Church, as the Presbyterians 
and Congregationalists contend ; or, 2d, two, as the 
Methodists and Moravians affirm ; or, 3d, three, as the 
Episcopalians believe and assert, with so much confi- 
dence and truth. 

In order to show, however, that the latter are not in- 
volved in error respecting this point, the attention of 
the reader is directed to the writings of those Christian 
Fathers who lived in and about the time when the 
Church was first organized by our Saviour and his 
Apostles, for the purpose, if possible, of gleaning from 
them the form of its government, and seeing whe- 
ther it accords with that view of it, which every sound 
Episcopalian cherishes and believes, as his own exist- 
ence, to wit : that there was a triple ordered ministry 
established ; or, in other words, a ministry consisting of 
THREE GRADES OF OFFICERS ranking one above the other, 
and distinguished by the appropriate names of Bishops, 
Presbyters, and Deacons. With this object in view, 
let us examine the Fathers of the first century, or Apos- 
tolic Age. 



CLEMENT OF ROME. 



" As heavenly blue breaks on a troubled deep 
A voice of gentle blame, 
From the calm grave where Paul and Peter sleep, 

Unto their children came, 
From Rome4o Corinth. O'er the rising din, 
It swell'd, as from their purer seats above, 
And, like a solemn undersound therein, 

Paul's moving tone. It was thy watchful love, 
Clement, whose name is in the Book of Life, 
The while thy Church, true to Heaven's sacred mould, 
'Mid persecution, poverty and strife. 
Glorious within, and wrought of purest gold, 
Began, 'mid hanging mists, her greatness to unfold." 

The Cathedral. 




FIEST CENTURY, OR APOSTOLIC AGE, 



I. 



CLEMENT OE ROME. 

Clemens Romanus, or Clement of Rome, as he was 
called, in order to distinguish him from another Clement 
who lived at Alexandria in Egypt, is the first writer of 
eminence whose testimony shall be adduced in reference 
to this subject. And we have selected him, not merely 
because he was a native of Rome, as his name imports, 
and a descendant of one of the chief families of the 
empire, but because he was a companion of St. Paul, 
and even an Apostle of our Lord, as some say,* and is 
the same person, according to Eusebius,f whom that in- 
spired writer in his Epistle to the Philippians, shows, had 
been his fellow-labourer, in these words : "With Clement 
and the rest of my fellow- labourers, whose names are in 
the Book of Life.":]: 

In addition to the honor thus conferred upon him by 
St. Paul, in making mention of his name, he was or- 
dained bishop of Rome by St. Peter himself, according 



* Clem. Alex. Strom, lib. 4. 

t Eccl. Hist. Bk. lib. 3, chap. 15. 

t Chap. 4. 3. 



Bost. ed. 1836. 



18 FIRST CENTURY. 

to TertuUIan* and others, and who, after the demise 
of Linus and Anacletus, his contemporaries in that See, 
over the Gentile converts, while he had charge of the 
Jewish, became finally the sole Bishop of Rome, about 
A. D. 90. f There he continued to exercise the high 
duties of his station with the greatest ability and zeal, 
until A. D. 98, when he was banished by order of Tra- 
jan, the Emperor, and condemned to labour, first in the 
marble quarries, and then in the mines of Cherson, " a 
disconsolate city beyond the Pontic sea. "J In these hor- 
rid dungeons he was subjected to the most humiliating 
offices, and the most excruciating torments. Indeed, so 
excruciating and severe, that they are well described in 
the Roman laws, as " proxima morti poena," the nearest 
punishment to death itself. " For besides the severest 
labour and most intolerable hardship, the condemned 
person," says the historian, " was treated with all the 
instances of inhumanity : he was whipped and beaten, 
chained and fettered, deprived of his estate, which was 
forfeited to the exchequer, and the person himself per- 
petually degraded into the condition of a slave, and con- 
sequently rendered incapable to make a will. And not 
this only, but they were farther exposed to the most pub- 
lic marks of infamy and dishonour ; their heads half- 
shaved, their right eye bored out, their left leg disabled, 
their foreheads branded with an infamous mark, not to 
mention the hunger and thirst, the cold and nakedness, 

* De Prsescript. Haret. ch. 32. 
t Euseb. lib, 5, cli. 6. 

t Cave's Lives, p. 83. Dr. Burton, however, says that this story 
is not founded upon good authority, &c. See vol. 2, p. 4. 



CLEMENT GFEO ME. 19 

the filth and nastiness, which they were forced to con- 
flict with in those miserable places," And yet, all this 
did the sainted and beloved Clement undergo, for the 
sake of his divine Redeemer, and that too, without mur- 
muring or flinching to the last. Yea, so steadfast and 
serene was he, in the midst of all the cruelties imposed, 
that it is said he fairly wearied out the patience of his 
tormentors, by the calm and quiet dignity of his submis- 
sion, until finally they were compelled to cast him into 
the sea, with an anchor fastened to his neck, in order 
to secure themselves, and the whole country side, from 
the contagious influence which his miracles, and preach- 
ing, and piety exerted. Thus lived, and thus died, Cle- 
mens Romanus, the third Bishop of Rome, A.D. 100. 

The trials of such a life, however, were not to be for- 
gotten. They were treasured up in imperishable hearts. 
Nay, it had been provided for, and rendered certain, 
ages before this cruel deed was done, by the sure decree 
of God, that in all future time, " th^ memory of the just 
should be blessed."* And so it came to pass in regagl to 
St. Clement. For, although his life was taken away, 
and his body cast into the ocean deeps, never to return 
till the sea gives up its dead, at the sound of the last 
trump, the memory of that saint was blessed. Indeed, 
so blessed was it to the hearts of his own dear people, 
that the Christians of Rome, in a short time afterward, 
erected a church to his memory, which for beauty and 
splendour was rarely surpassed, and which St. Jerome 
informs us, was standing even to his day, in all its un- 
shorn excellence and strength. And although that, too, 

* Prov. 10 : 8. 



20 FIRSTCENTURY. 

has crumbled away, and disappeared from the monu- 
ments of earth, as all terrestrial things must, the memo- 
ry of St. Clement is just as fresh and just as dear to 
the Christian heart still, as if it were but yesterday he 
died. Truly, the memory of the just is blessed ! 

Now, it so happens, that this same glorious Bishop 
and Martyr wrote a letter, in the name of the Church 
of Rome, to that of Corinth, (which, as some say, was 
afterwards succeeded by another,) about the year of our 
Lord 95, or three years after his banishment to the 
mines, for the purpose, if possible, of composing a dissen- 
sion which had broken out there, in consequence of 
their degrading from the office of the Ministry, all the 
Presbyters belonging to the place.* And, in order that 
it might fully answer the end contemplated, he des- 
patched three messengers with it, to see that it was duly 
delivered and punctually obeyed. These persons are 
mentioned by name, " at the close of the Epistle, and 
were, probably, some of his own Ministers, with the ex- 
ception, perhaps, of Fortunatus, who was sent by the 
Church of Corinth to Clement, with the news of their dis- 
tress, and is mentioned by St. Paul in his first Epistle to 
the Corinthians,! " as among the first fruits of Achaia." 

In the good providence of Cod, this Epistle was looked 
upon, by the Early Church, with the utmost reverence 
and regard ; insomuch, that it was not only bound up 
with the other Scriptures, and generally at the end of 
the Sacred Volume, as the only ancient copy known to 
be extant at the present day is ; but it was also kept 

* Eusebius, lib. 5, chap. 6. 
t Chap. 16: 15-17. 



CLEMENT OF ROME. 21 

and read in most churches, for many centuries, with 
equal approbation and delight as the Holy Oracles them- 
selves. Accordingly, Eusebius says, " that he knew it 
to have been read for common benefit in most of the 
Churches, both in former times and in his own."* 
Thus, for three centuries at least, it was read and es- 
teemed by the faithful, almost, if not altogether equal in 
importance to any of the inspired Epistles^ 

This venerable and precious reHc of the past, was for 
many ages supposed to be irrecoverably lost ; but in 
A.D. 1633, it was again restored to the Christian world," 
by one Patricius Junius, a North Briton, who published 
it, from a manuscript written by an Egyptian lady, 
nam^d Thecla, about the beginning of the fourth century, 
and afterwards brought it over into England, where it 
still remains in the royal library of St. James. f 

That we are in possession of a genuine copy of this 
Epistle, there seems to be no reasonable doubt, when we 
compare it with the numerous extracts which abound in 
the writings of the Fathers. Indeed, this appears to be 
conceded on all hands, since the examination bestowed 
upon it by the late learned and indefatigable Bishop 
Pearson. And although it was evidently not written for 
the purpose of advocating the cailse of Episcopacy, or 
for any other purpose save the noble one of healing a 
schism in the Church of Corinth ; yet there are things 
in it, which clearly go to show, that there was a three- 
fold Ministry established even there, as may be seen by 

« Lib. 3, chap. 16 ; and lib. 4, chap. 33. 
t Bower's Lives of the Popes, vol. 1,'p. 17. 



22 FIRST CENTURY. 

carefully reading over the following passages, quoted 
from the 

FIRST EPISTLE OF SAINT CLEMENT 

TO THE 

CORINTHIANS. 

1. " Seeing then these things are manifest unto us, 
it will behoove us to take care that, looking into the 
depths of the divine knowledge, we do all things in 
order whatsoever our Lord has commanded us to do ; 
and particularly, that we perform our offerings and ser- 
vice to God at their appointed seasons : for these He 
has commanded to be done, not rashly and disorderly, 
but at certain determinate times and hours, and there- 
fore He has ordained by His supreme will and authority, 
both ichere, and by what persons, they are to be perform- 
ed ; that so, all things being piously done unto all well- 
pleasing, they may be acceptable unto Him. They, 
therefore, who make their offerings at the appointed 
seasons, are happy and accepted ; because that, obeying 
the commandments of the Lord, they are free from sin. 
And the same care must be had of the persons who minis- 
ter unto Him : for the Chief Priest has his proper ser- 
vices ; and to the Priests their proper place is appointed : 
and to the Levites appertain their proper Ministries ; and 
the Layman is confined within the bounds prescribed to 
Laymen,^^ 

2. "Let every one of you, therefore, brethren," he con- 
tinues, " bless God in his proper station, with a good con- 
science, and with all gravity, not exceeding the rule of 
his service that is appointed to him. The daily sacri- 



CLEMENTOFROME. 23 

fices are not offered everywhere ; nor the peace offer- 
ings, nor the sacrifices appointed for sin and transgres- 
sions, but only at Jerusalem ; nor in any place there, 
but only at the altar before the Temple ; that which is 
offered, being first diligently examined by the High Priest 
and the other Ministers we before mentioned. They, 
therefore, who do anything which is not agreeable to 
his will, are punished with death. Consider, brethren, 
that by how much the better knowledge God has vouch- 
safed unto us, by so much the greater danger are we ex- 
posed to." 

3. " The Apostles have preached to us from our Lord 
Jesus Christ ; Jesus Christ from God. Christ, there- 
fore was sent by God, the Apostles by Christ : so both 
were orderly sent, according to the will of God. For, 
having received their command, and being thoroughly 
assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ ; 
and convinced by the word of God, with the fulness of 
the Holy Spirit, they went abroad, publishing, " that the 
kingdom of God was at hand." And thus preaching 
through countries and cities, they appointed (or consti- 
tuted) Bishops and Deacons, for such as were not yet 
converted, but should, in some tiine to come, be brought over 
to the faith, having first proved them by the Spirit, Nor 
was this any new thing : seeing that long before it was 
written concerning Bishops and Deacons. For thus, 
saith the Scripture, in a certain place, " I will appoint 
their overseers* in righteousness, and their Ministers-\ in 
faith." Isaiah 60 : 17. 

4. " And what wonder if theyj to whom such a work 

* Literally, Bishops. t Deacons. J The Apostles. 



24 riESTCENTURY. 

was committed by God in Christ, established such offi- 
cers as we before mentioned ;* when even that blessed 
and faithful servant in all his house, Moses, set down in 
the Holy Scriptures all things that were commanded 
him. Whom also all the rest of the Prophets followed, 
bearing witness with one consent to those things that 
were appointed by him. For he, perceiving an emula- 
tion to arise among the tribes concerning the Priesthood, 
and that there was a strife about it, which of them 
should be adorned with that glorious name ; commanded 
their twelve captains to bring to him twelve rods ; every 
tribe being written upon its rod, according to its name. 
(Numbers 17.) And he took them and bound them to- 
gether, and sealed them with the seals of the twelve 
princes of the tribes, and laid them up in the tabernacle 
of witness, upon the table of God. And when he had 
shut the door of the tabernacle, he sealed up the keys of 
it, in like manner as he had done the rods ; and said unto 
them, men and brethren, whichsoever tribe shall have its 
rod blossom, that tribe has God chosen to exercise the 
office of the Priesthood, and to Minister unto Him in 
Holy things. And when the morning was come, he 
called together all Israel, six hundred thousand men, and 
showed to their princes the seals, and opened the taber- 
nacle of witness, and brought forth the rods. And the 
rod of Aaron was found not only to have blossomed, but 
also to have fruit upon it. What think you, beloved ? 
Did not Moses know what should happen ? Yes, ver- 
ily : but to the end there might be no division nor tu- 
mult in Israel, he did in this manner, that the name of 

* Bishops and Deacons. 



CLEMENTOFROME. 25 

the true and only God might be glorified : to Him be 
honour for ever and ever. Amen." 

" 5. " So likewise our Apostles knew hy our Lord 
Jesus Christ, that there should contentions arise upon 
the account of the Ministry.* And, therefore, having a 
perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed persons, as 
we have before said, and then gave direction how, when 
they should die, other chosen and approved men should suc- 
ceed in the Ministry. Wherefore, we cannot think that 
those may justly be thrown out of their Ministry, who 
were either appointed by them, or afterwards chosen by 
other eminent men, with the consent of the whole 
Church ; and who have, with all lowliness and inno- 
cency, ministered to the flock of Christ in peace, and 
without self-interest, and -were for a long time com- 
mended by ail. For it would be no small sin in us, 
should we cast off those from their Ministry, who holily 
and without blame, fulfil the duties of it. Blessed are 
those Priests who, having finished their course before 
these times, have obtained a fruitful and perfect dissolu- 
tion ; for they^have no fear lest any one should turn 
them out of the place which is now appointed for them. 
But we see how you have put out some, who lived repu- 
tably among you, from the Ministry, which by their in- 
nocency they had adorned." 

6. " Your schism has perverted many, has discouraged 
many : it has caused difiidence in many, and grief in 
us all. And yet your sedition continues. Take the 
Epistle of the blessed Paul the Apostle into your hands ; 
what was it he wrote to you at his first preaching the 

* Christian Priesthood. 



26 FIRSTCENTURY. 

Gospel among you ? Verily, he did by the Spirit admon- 
ish you concerning himself, and Cephas, and Apollos,* 
because that even then ye had begun to fall into par- 
ties and factions among yourselves. Nevertheless, your 
partiality then led into a much less sin : forasmuch as 
ye placed your affections upon Apostles, men of eminent 
reputation in the Church ; and upon another, who was 
greatly tried and approved of by them. But consider, 
we pray you, who were they who have now led you 
astray, and lessened the reputation of that brotherly 
love, that was so eminent among you ? It is a shame, 
my beloved, yea, a very great shame, and unworthy of 
your Christian profession, to hear that the most firm 
and ancient Church of the Corinthians should, by one or 
two persons, be led into a sedition against its Priests. 
And this report is come, not only to us, but to those 
also that differ from us. Insomuch that the name of 
the Lord is blasphemed through your folly ; and even 
ye yourselves are brought into danger by it. Let us, 
therefore, with all haste put an end to this sedition ; 
and let us fall down before the Lord, and beseech him 
with tears that he would be favourably reconciled to us, 
and restore us again to a seemly and holy course of 
brotherly love."f 

REMARKS. 

1. These passages are the whole in this admirable 
Epistle, which have any special bearing on the subject. 
We have quoted them entire, without any mutilation, in 

* 1 Cor. 1 : 12. 

t Archbishop Wake's Apos. Epis. Oxford edition, 1840. 



CLEMENT OF ROME. 27 

order that the reader may see and judge for himself, 
respecting the nature and value of the evidence which 
they contain. And we have no hesitation in saying, 
that when he has examined them with all the accu- 
racy and care which they deserve, that he will come with 
us to the following conclusions, viz. 

I. That there was a Priesthood or Ministry establish- 
ed by Divine authority, under the present dispensation, 
similar to that which was established under the former ; 
and, 

II. That it was composed, like that, of three distinct 
Orders, each of which was distinguished by its own ap- 
propriate name. 

True, indeed, he may not be able to adopt these 
views, from the first hasty or cursory perusal of the ex- 
tracts here given, but we take it for granted, that after 
reading them over again and again, if needs be, the 
parallel of orders, as well as of names, will be too mani- 
fest to dispute. And the more so, we are inclined to 
believe, when he is apprised of the fact, that the early 
Christians, and particularly the Jewish, were constantly 
in the habit, not only of likening the Orders of the Min- 
istry established by Christ and his Apostles under the 
present dispensation, to those established by Moses, and 
sustained by Aaron and his sons, under the former ; but 
they were actually in the habit of calling them by the 
very names which each of those Orders bore. Thus, for 
example, it was no uncommon thing for them to say, in 
the language of St. Jerome, " That we may know that 
the Apostolic traditions (institutions) are taken from the 
Old Testament. What Aaron and his sons were in the 
Temple, that the Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons claim 



28 FIRST CENTURY. 

to be in the Church."* And Tertullian says, "The 
Chief Priest — that is, the Bishop, possesses the right of 
conferring Baptism. After him, the Presbyters and Dea- 
cons, but not without his authority, out of regard to the 
honour of the Church, "f Accordingly, as soon as St. 
Clement informs us, in the first paragraph or extract, 
where, and by whom, certain offerings and services are to 
be performed, in obedience to the command of God, he 
declares forthwith that "the same care must be had of 
the pe7^sons who minister unto Him, as of those who make 
the offerings which God has enjoined." The persons to 
whom he alludes, are certainly no secret, because he 
singles them out in the very next sentence, thus : " for 
the Chief Priest has his proper services, and to the Priests 
their proper place is appointed ; and to the Levites ap- 
pertain their proper Ministries ; and the Layman is con- 
fined within the bounds of what is commanded to Lay- 
men." Now, the question is. Who are these? To 
whom does St. Clement refer? Not surely to the Priest- 
hood and Laymen of the Jewish Church, with whom he 
had no concern ; but to the Priesthood and Laymen of 
the Christian Church, whose relative duties or ministries 
he was then endeavouring to define, under their ov/n ap- 
propriate titles, viz. High Priest, Priests, Levites and Lay- 
men ; thereby intimating, not merely that such were 
the Orders in the Christian Church, yea, more, in the 
schismatic Church of Corinth ; but actually denominat- 
ing those Orders by the very same names. Indeed, we 
are not sure, but we should be justified in affirming, that 
unless some such Orders were established by Christ and 

* Epistle to Evagrius. t Tract de Baptismo. 



CLEMENT OF ROME. 29 

his Apostles in the constitution of the present Ministry, 
as that which Aaron and his sons sustained by Divine 
appointment, we see no force whatever in the exhorta- 
tion which follows : " Let every one of you, therefore, 
brethren, bless God in his proper station, with a good 
conscience and with all gravity, not exceeding the rule 
of his service that is appointed to him." But why should 
he speak thus, unless there was rule, order, station, among 
the Christians at Corinth : nay, the very same rule, 
order, station, as among the Priesthood and People of 
the Jewish Church ? There seems to be no reason, as 
there surely was none, why such language should be 
used, unless it was predicated upon the similarity which 
existed between the Ministry of the former and the lat- 
ter dispensation. And hence, we are perfectly assured 
that the Temple, and not the Synagogue of the Jews, 
was the model after which the Priesthood or Ministry of 
the early Christian Church was formed. 

2. And this, we think, is rendered doubly certain, from 
the manner in which St. Clement institutes a comparison 
between the conduct of Moses and the Apostles of our 
Lord in reference to this matter. In the one case, he 
describes, with the greatest exactness, the way in which 
the former succeeded in establishing the Priesthood in 
the family of Aaron, by means of the rods, " to the 
end, as he says, that there might be no division nor tu- 
mult in Israel ;" while, in reference to the latter, he says, 
"So likewise our Apostles knew by our Lord Jesus 
Christ, that there should contentions arise upon the ac- 
count of the Ministry or Priesthood. And, therefore, 
having a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed 
persons, as we have before said, and then gave direc- 



30 FIRST CENTURY. 

tions, how when they should die, other chosen and ap- 
proved men should succeed in the Ministry." But why 
do this, or why pursue such a course, unless there was 
some similarity between the Priesthood of the one, and 
the Ministry of the other ? Nay, why adopt this mode 
of illustration, unless he meant to say, and thus to have 
us infer, that what the High Priest, Priests and Levites 
were in the Temple, that the Bishop, Presbyters and 
Deacons were in the Church ? To us, it seems apparent, 
as any thing can be, that St. Clement meant to teach, 
that there were Three Orders of Ministers instituted or 
appointed for the service of the Gospel Church, corres- 
ponding not only to the three already mentioned in the 
ancient Jewish Church, but distinguished also by the 
same distinctive names. If he does not mean to say this, 
we know not what can be the idea which ought to be 
attached to the passage, by any just rules of interpreta- 
tion. And hence, we feel no hesitation in affirming that 
such was the fact, and that St. Jerome desired that it 
should be so understood. 

3. But still, it may be said in reply, that as St. Cle- 
ment mentions Two Orders only byname, in the succeed- 
ing paragraph, (2) the idea of a Threefold Ministry is 
palpably untrue. For there he tells us expressly that the 
Apostles, " preaciiing through countries and cities, ap- 
pointed Bishops and Deacons, for such as were not yet 
converted, but should, in some time to come, be brought 
over to the faith, having first proved them by the Spirit." 
All this we cheerfully admit, and yet, we contend that 
Bishops and Deacons were the only Orders which were 
really required under the circumstances. No more were 
necessary, either to lay the foundation or to rear the 



CLEMENTOFEOME. 31 

superstructure of any Church in its infancy, so long as 
the Apostles lived and had the oversight themselves. In 
such a state of things, Bishops and Deacons were per- 
fectly competent to manage its concerns, under the 
supervision of the Apostles. And hence, it is not only 
written here, but elsewhere, that " they ordained Elders 
and Deacons in every city, for the work of the Ministry, 
for the edification of the body of Christ ;" and yet these 
were just as frequently denominated by them, Bishops 
and Deacons, whenever it suited their convenience, as 
Elders and Deacons, or Presbyters and Deacons, proving, 
beyond all controversy, that in the estimation of the 
apostles. Elders and Deacons, Presbyters and Deacons, 
Bishops and Deacons, were synonymous titles, used in- 
differently to designate these two Orders or Classes of 
Officers in the Ministry of the Church. 

But are we to infer from this, that these were the only 
grades of Officers appointed by the Apostles, to superin- 
tend and carry forward the operations of the Early 
Church ? With the same propriety, we might infer that 
there were Two Orders only in the Jewish Church, because 
they are sometimes called Priests and Levites. If it be 
allowable, therefore, in one case, without prejudice to 
the threefold character of the Jewish Priesthood, to de- 
signate the Orders which composed it, by two appropriate 
names, which were, in the main, equally applicable to all ; 
we see no reason why the three orders which compose 
the Ministry of the Christain Priesthood should not be 
designated in the same way. Admitting this, there is 
surely no impropriety either in affirming or maintaining 
that St. Clement does but follow out the same method 
of speaking, in reference to the Christian, as he and 



32 FIRST CENTURY. 

others were accustomed to do, in reference to the Jewish 
Priesthood, by styling them all Bishops and Deacons. 

We do not allege, however, that this was the case, in 
this particular instance. All we desire is, to show that 
no undue advantage ought to be taken of it, by those 
who contend for two orders only, because no valid argu- 
ment can be deduced from it, which does not militate 
directly against the Threefold Ministry of the Jewish 
Church. And, indeed, if such an advantage should be 
taken of it, might we not reply by stating, that it is in- 
consistent with St. Clement's own words, where he says, 
(5) " Blessed are those Priests who, having finished 
their course before these times, have obtained a fruitful 
and perfect dissolution : for they have no fear, lest any 
should turn them out of the place which is now ap- 
pointed for them ?" Who, let me ask, were those 
Priests ? Were they an Order of the Ministry or not ? 
Certainly ; every one admits that they were. But what 
Order ? Were they Bishops or were they Deacons ? 
Not the latter surely, because Deacons are never called 
Priests. It follows, therefore, that Priests must be 
Bishops, or else that they are a separate Order, not enu- 
merated, as yet, by St. Clement, but perfectly known 
to exist in the Ministry of the Early Church ; yea, of 
that very Church to which this Epistle was directed, and 
that, too, in consequence of the cruel and unheard-of 
treatment which these very Priests had received at their 
hands, in' being unceremoniously degraded from their 
office by those who were wholly incompetent to do it : 
so that even here, in the Church of Corinth, according to 
St. Clement's own showing, they had Bishops, Priests, 
and Deacons. 



CLEMENTOFROME. 33 

4. But there is no need of subterfuge ; or, in other 
words, there is no necessity for resorting to such a 
course of reasoning, however plausible, for the purpose 
of making out the Threefold Ministry, which we desire. 
For we look upon it as a self-evident truth, even though 
we grant that Bishops and Priests were the same Order, 
to which these different names were applied, that in ad- 
dition to these, there were Apostles, who were not only 
superior, but anterior to these, and of course indepen- 
dent of them. In fact, the inferior officers just named 
could have no existence without the action or co-opera- 
tion of the superior. They were their Spiritual Sires, 
their Ecclesiastical Chiefs, their lawfully constituted Ru- 
lers. They were brought into being, and afterwards 
sustained, by the mere fiat of their will. It was not by 
their own will, nor their own power ; nor yet by any 
inherent power which the Laity of the Church might ex- 
ercise at their pleasure ; but it was solely and wholly by 
the power which the Great Head of the Church vested 
in the Apostles and their Successors, that any such offi- 
cers existed. 

That such a course was pursued, in appointing the 
Ministry of the Church at Corinth, is manifest from this 
Epistle, where St. Clement says, " They, (that is, the 
Apostles,) appointed persons, as we had before said, and 
then gave directions how, when they should die, other 
chosen and approved men should succeed in their Minis- 
try. Wherefore, we cannot think that these may justly 
be thrown out of their Ministry, who were either appointed 
hy them, or afterwards chosen hy other eminent men, with 
the consent of the whole Church." (5.) Here it is evident, 
not only that the Bishops and Deacons, or Priests and 



34 FIRST CENTURY. 

Deacons, were selected and ordained by the Apostles and 
their Successors in office, with the approbation of the 
people ; but that this was done in that very Church to 
which this Epistle was sent ; so that we have here, be- 
yond all contradiction, the Threefold Orders of the Minis- 
try, viz. 1. Apostles, 2. Bishops or Priests, and 3. 
Deacons. 

5. That such, however, were the Orders in the Church 
of Corinth, at the time when this Epistle was written, 
may well be questioned, not only from the circumstance 
of their sending all the way to Rome to ask the aid of 
Clement, the Bishop of that city ; but also from the cir- 
cumstance, that no such officer, or at least, no officer 
superior to that of Priest, is anywhere mentioned. 
Whether that Chief Order or Minister, who was then 
called an Apostle, as St. Clement himself originally was, 
like the other Apostles of our Lord, was absent or dead, 
we are nowhere advised ; but that they had had such a 
Ministei:, the Epistle itself affirms ; — and that he was 
appointed, too, in consequence of a schism which had 
hitherto occurred there, is equally clear, where St. Clem- 
ent exhorts the Corinthians, saying, " Take the Epistle 
of the blessed Paul the Apostle into your hands : what 
was it that he wrote to you at his first preaching the 
Gospel among you 1 Verily, he did by the Spirit admon- 
ish you concerning himself, and Cephas, and Apollos, 
because that even then ye had begun to fall into parties 
and factions among yourselves. Nevertheless, your par- 
tiality then led you into a much less sin, forasmuch as 
ye placed your affections upon Apostles, men of eminent 
reputation in the Church, and upon another who was 
greatly tried and approved of by them." Here we see 



CLEMENTOFROME. 35 

that even in the Apostles' time, they had begun to split 
up into factions, and to elect their Chief Ruler or Pastor 
in place of the Apostle himself who had hitherto sus- 
tained that Office. Then it was, as St. Paul says in his 
Epistle to the Corinthians, that every one cried, " I am 
of Paul ; and I of Apollos ; and I of Cephas ; and I of 
Christ."* The difficulty arose out of a popular clamor 
of the parties for precedence and power. Some desired 
to elect one Apostle for their Chief Minister ; while some 
desired another, or even none but Christ. In this dilem- 
ma, what course was pursued, or how was the matter 
finally adjusted? Let St. Jerome answer this question, 
as he is every way competent in the estimation of many. 
" Till through instinct of the devil," says he, " there 
grew in the Church factions, and among the people it 
began to be professed, I am of Paul, I of Apollos, and I of 
Cephas, Churches were governed by the common advice of 
Presbyters ;'\ but when every one began to reckon those 
whom himself had baptized, his own and not Christ's, it 
was decreed in the whole world, that 07ie chosen out of the 
Presbyters should be placed above the rest, to whom all 
cares of the Church should belong, and so the seeds of 
schism be removedJ'^X From this it appears, that there 
was an order of Clergy established, or created, by the 
Apostles themselves, superior to that of Presbyters, for 
wise and holy purposes, as well as for good and sufficient 
reasons, which are given, not only in the Church of 
Corinth, at the very time when the first dissension arose, 

* 1 Cor. 1 chap. 12 v. 

t In the absence of the Apostles, or in subordination to them. See 
Bowden, vol. 2, p. 44. 

+ Hooker, vol. 2, p. 250. Lond. ed. 



36 FIRST CENTURY. 

at least forty years previous to this, and of course long 
before the Epistle of St. Clement was written, but in 
every other Church throughout the whole world, where 
Christianity obtained. Without a question, it was so in 
the Church of Rome, when St. Clement wrote his Epistle, 
for he is not merely called an Apostle, and thus classed 
with Timothy, and Titus, and Epaphroditas ;* but all an- 
tiquity agree in making him the Head of that Church, as 
the Corinthians manifestly did, under the title of Bishop 
or Overseer. Indeed, Eusebius expressly declares, that he 
was constituted Bishop of Rome after Peter and Paul.f 
Although we are fully aware, that neither Clement nor 
any other Chief Minister was designated by that title 
during the life-time of the Apostles, but by the former 
one of Apostle, or Successor of the Apostles ; yet in a very 
short time after their decease, every Chief Pastor, or 
Priest, who had been elevated to that office in any 
Church, as St. Clement was at Rome, or as Primus was 
at Corinth shortly after, was known by the appropriate 
name of Bishop, because he had the oversight and gov- 
ernment of the Church. 

And this is not a matter of conjecture or of fancy, de- 
vised to eke out the three distinct Orders of the ministry ; 
but we have the direct and unequivocal testimony of 
Theodoret, an author contemporary with St. Jerome, to 
sustain us in the assertion. " The same persons," says 
he, " were anciently called promiscuously both Bishops 
and Presbyters, whilst those who are now called Bishops, 
were called Apostles . But, shortly after, the name of 

* Theodoret, as quoted by Bowden, vol, 1, p. 21. 
t Eusebius, lib, 3, ch. 4 and 15. 



CLEMENTOFROME. 37 

Apostles was appropriated to those only who were Apos- 
tles indeed, (i. e. those immediately appointed by Christ,) 
and then the name, Bishop, was given to those who be- 
fore were called Apostles."* St, Jerome, and Hilary, the 
Deacon, have each written in much the same way,! 
while St. Ambrose says, that " they who are now called 
Bishops, were originally called Apostles ; but the Holy 
Apostles being dead, those who were ordained after them 
to govern the churches, could not arrive at the excel- 
lency of the first ; nor had they the testimony of mira- 
cles, but were, in many other respects, inferior to them. 
Therefore, they thought it not decent to assume to them- 
selves the name of Apostles ; hut dividing the names, 
Bishop and Presbyter, they left to the Presbytery the name 
of Presbyters, and they themselves were called Bishops. X 

5. Nothing, surely, can be more explicit, and to the 
point. For here, we have not only the three distinct 
orders of the ministry, plainly existing in the Church of St. 
Clement's day, after the fashion of the Jewish, attested 
by one, whom Eusebius says, " as he had seen the bless- 
ed Apostles, and had been connected with them, might 
be said to have the doctrine of the Apostles still sound- 
ing in his ears ; and what they delivered, before his 
eyes ;"§ but we have here also, in addition to the orders, 
the names by which each order was distinguished, toge- 
ther with the reasons why they were thus given, by men 
of the utmost integrity and worth ; so that we see no 
way of escaping the conclusion to which we are driven 

* Bingham's Works, Henry's edition, p. 26. 

f Bowden, vol. 1, p. 4 & 17. X Bingham, p, 26. 

§ Lib. 5, chap. 36. 



38 FIRST CENTURY. 

by the writings of St. Clement and others, to wit : that 
Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons, were the original 
orders of the Ministry instituted by the Apostles ; and 
acting as they did under the authority of Him who 
bought the Church, and saved the Church, by his own 
most precious blood, these orders ought to be received, 
and owned, and loved, wherever that Church exists. It 
is the true Priesthood, the original and only authorized 
Ministry, which either the Saviour or his Apostles ever 
sanctioned or set forth for the service of the Church. 

This being established, let us now proceed to exam- 
ine the writings of another Father, who was the con- 
temporary of St. Clement and friend of St. John, and 
see what he has to say in reference to this subject. We 
mean the holy and venerable Ignatius, Bishop and Mar- 
tyr of Antioch. 




IGNATIUS. 



" As, one by one, stars on tlie Eastern space 

Come forth, while day-light fades, 
And greet each other to their heavenly place, — 

Thus, while Death's deepening shades 
Darken'd. around thy steps in stranger lands, 
Sweet awful memories of thy own St. John 
Wake round thee ; martyr'd Peter beck'ning stands, 

And stirs again the Spirit's benison 
Giv'n through his hands ; upon the self-same road, 
Lo, the bright footsteps of tho death-bound Paul. 

Thy soul is fann'd to burning hardihood ; 
We hear in thee the Bridegroom's warning call, 
And, full of glowing life, thy dying accents fall." 

The Cathedral. 



II. 

IGNATIUS. 

Ignatius was born, according to the best account we 
have, at Nora, in Sardinia, about A.D. 31, and is reputed 
to have been the child, which our Saviour took up in his 
arms and set in the midst of his disciples* as the most 
striking representation of that humility, which He wish- 
ed them to possess. Whether this were really so, it is 
impossible to say, without venturing to impugn the sin- 
cerity of those who seem to treat it as a fable ; and yet, 
it is manifest from his Epistles, that he not only assumed 
a name which would favour this notion, but which was 
actually conceded to him by all his contemporaries. If 
Theophorus, for that was the name, is an indication of 
the fact, and means, as some affirm, " one who is home of 
God,^^ then, perhaps, it was properly applied in memory 
of the event, and proves beyond a doubt, that the Divini- 
ty of our Lord Jesus Christ, was a prevalent Article in 
the Faith of the Primitive Church ; but if, on the other 
hand, it means, as others say, and, indeed, as Ignatius 
himself says, as we shall presently see, " one who carries 
Christ in his heart,^^ then we may suppose it just as 

* Mark ix. 36. Matt, xviii. 2. 



42 FIRST CENTURY. 

applicable to any other Christian as to him. Accordingly, 
it has been doubted, and, perhaps, for very good reasons, 
whether Ignatius ever saw our Lord in the flesh, or was 
borne in His hands : still, it cannot be questioned, but 
that he was the intimate friend and companion of the 
Apostles, and especially of St. John, whose disciple he 
was, because we have the most unequivocal testimony in 
reference to this point from many accredited sources.* 
Under the tuition of this eminent servant of Christ, he 
made such attainments in knowledge and virtue, that, 
upon the death of Evodius, the first Bishop of Antioch, 
Ignatius was immediately chosen in his place, and or- 
dained by St. Peter himself, somewhere about A. D. 65 
or 70. 

In this delightful and " most renowned City of the 
East," as Antioch was said to be, he continued to exer- 
cise the duties of his high station with eminent abihty 
and success, for the period of forty years, until A. D. 107, 
when Trajan, the Emperor, flushed with his conquests 
over the Scythians and Dacians, came to Antioch, not 
for the purpose, it would seem, of receiving the congratu- 
lations of its admiring hosts ; but for the execrable pur- 
pose of wreaking his vengeance upon the Christians of 
that city, because they would not renounce their reli- 
gion, and conform to all the idolatrous rites of the 
Heathen, as he had basely ordered them to do. 

As soon as Trajan came within the walls of the city, 
Ignatius, knowing his intentions, waited on him, in order 
to dissuade him from his purpose ; but scarcely had the 
mild and venerable Bishop appeared in his presence, than 

* Vide St. Chrysostom's Homily on Ignat. 



IGNATIUS. 43 

he began to abuse him, by ^saying, " What a wicked 
wretch art thou, thus to endeavour to transgress our com- 
mands, and to persuade others also to do Ukewise, to their 
destruction 1" Ignatius answered, " No one ought to 
call Theophorus after such a manner, forasmuch as all 
wicked spirits have departed far from the servants of God. 
But if, because I am a trouble to those evil spirits, you 
call me wicked, with reference to them I confess the 
charge ; for having (within me) Christ the Heavenly 
King, I dissolve all the snares ot the Devil." Trajan 
replied'^ " And who is Theophorus ?" " He who has 
Christ in his breast," said Ignatius. *' And do we not 
then seem to thee," inquired Trajan, " to have the gods 
within us, who fight for us against our enemies ?" " You 
err," said Ignatius, " in that you call the evil spirits of 
the Heathen, Gods. For there is but one God, who 
made Heaven and Earth, and the Sea, and all that are 
in them ; and one Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, 
whose Kingdom may I enjoy," Traj. *' His Kingdom, 
you say, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate ?" 
Ignat. " His who crucified my sin, with the inventor of 
it ; and has put all the deceit and malice of the Devil 
under the feet of those who carry Him in their hearts," 
Traj. " Dost thou, then, carry Him who was crucified 
within thee f Ignatius answered, "I do : for it is 
written, * I will dwell in them and walk in them.' "* 
When Trajan heard this, he forthwith pronounced this 
sentence against him : " Forasmuch as Ignatius has con- 
fessed that he carries about within himself, Him that was 
crucified, we command that he be carried, bound, by 

* 2 Cor. vi. 16. 



44 FIRSTCENTURY. 

soldiers, to Great Rome, there to be thrown to the beasts, 
for the entertainment of the people."* 

Savage and cruel as this sentence was, under any cir- 
cumstances, it was particularly so in the present case, 
because it was never pronounced against any but the 
meanest and worst of criminals, and never against a 
high and honourable citizen of Rome, as the Bishop of 
Antioch was. But still, without manifesting the least 
displeasure or surprise, it was instantly obeyed, and even 
desired by Ignatius, in order to complete, in his estima- 
tion, the character of a perfect saint. Indeed, so eager 
was he to lay down his life for the cause of his Divine 
Redeemer, that he was afraid lest something might be 
done to prevent its occurrence, and especially by the 
Christians of Rome, who held him in the highest venera- 
tion. And hence, in order to prevent a catastrophe so 
fatal so his wishes, he sat down at once, and wrote a let- 
ter to the Church of Rome respecting his condition, and 
entreating them niost earnestly not to interfere in his 
behalf, because he had resolved to suffer death, and, were 
it necessary, even to provoke the wild beasts to devour 
him speedily. " For," said he, " I shall entice and flat- 
ter them to devour me quickly, and not be afraid of me 
as of some whom they did not touch. But should they, 
perchance, be unwilling, I will force them. Pardon 
me : I know what advantage it will confer. Now I be- 
gin to be a disciple. Nothing, whether of things visi- 
ble or invisible, excites my ambition, as long as I can 
gain Christ. Whether fire or the cross, the assault of 
wild beasts, the tearing asunder of my bones, the break- 

* For Martyrdom of St. Ignatius, see Wake's Apos. Epis. 



IGNATIUS. 45 

ing of my limbs, the bruising of my whole body, let 
the tortures of the Devil all assail me, if I do but win 
Christ Jesus."* 

With thoughts and feelings such as these, did this 
condemned but innocent Bishop set out for Rome, load- 
ed with chains, attended by ten of Trajan's trustiest 
guards. From Seleucia, which was the nearest port to 
Antioch, he sailed to Smyrna, in Asia. There he was 
permitted to tarry some days, with his bosom friend and 
fellow disciple, Polycarp, the Bishop of that city. The 
news of his presence and fate, excited the liveliest inter- 
est in his behalf, and brought in from all the neighbour- 
ing places, the Bishops with their Clergy, to condole 
with him, or to bid him adieu. Never, perhaps, on this 
side the other world, was so touching a scene witnessed. 
For, here on the one hand, was one of the most holy 
and venerable of all the servants of Christ, halting, for 
a few days, on his way to Martyrdom, for the purpose of 
refreshing himself in the midst of sorrowing friends : 
while on the other, were Bishops, Presbyters and Dea- 
cons, from all the country round, assembled to see him, 
and, perhaps, as some say,"!" to receive some spiritual 
gift, instead of cheering him on to the contest. Some 
of these, doubtless, were aged and venerable men, like 
himself, who had travelled far, for the sake of meet- 
ing him once more in the flesh, and of pouring out their 
souls together before God, for the success of that cause, 
which lay nearest their hearts. The thought that it was 
for the last time, and that, too, upon the borders of the 



* Eusebius' Eccl. Hist. lib. 3, chap. 36. 
+ Burton's Ecc. Lee. vol. 2, p. 26. 



2* 



46 FIESTCENTURY. 

spirit land, overwhelmed them with tears, and filled them 
wih sorrow. And yet, Ignatius was in nowise disheart- 
ened or oppressed, by the circumstances in which he 
he was placed, but, towering above them, he exhorted 
his brethren, with all the dignity and grace for which he 
was distinguished, to stand firm and unmoved, in the 
midst of their distresses, cautioning them not only 
against certain heresies of the day, which were then 
springing up and spreading their baleful influence 
around ; but beseeching them to adhere, with all stead- 
fastness, to the doctrines and institutions, once delivered 
to the saints by the Apostles of our Lord. So delight- 
ful was the impression produced by this address, and so 
important did these counsels appear, that at the earnest 
request of the Bishops convened, Ignatius committed 
them to writing, and gave them each a copy, as a me- 
morial of his love.* These sweet and precious relics, 
were addressed in the form of Epistles to each of the 
Churches over which the Holy Ghost had made them 
overseers. Thus, one of those before us, we find, was 
written to the Church at Ephesus, in which he mentions 
Onesimus, its Bishop ; — another to the Church in Mag- 
nesia, on the Meander, in which he speaks of Damas 
the Bishop ; — another, also, to the Church of the Tral- 
lians, of which he states that Polybius was the Bishop. 
To these must be added, the Epistle to the Church of 
Rome, which contains that memorable clause, hitherto 
noticed, not to disappoint him in his ardent hope, by 
throwing any obstacle in the way of his suffering, ac- 
cording to the Imperial decree. f 

* Eusebius, lib. 5, chap. 36. t Ibid. 



IGNATIUS. 47 

As soon as these Epistles were finished, and not with- 
out haste, because the guards were impatient to proceed, 
in order to be present at the approaching spectacle in 
Rome, he immediately took ship and sailed to Troas. 
During his stay here, which was longer than he desired, 
he sat down and wrote a letter to the Church at Phila- 
delphia ; another, also, to the Church at Smyrna ; 
another to his personal and beloved friend, Polycarp ;— 
all teeming with the most important reflections, and full 
of the tenderest regards for their welfare.* After leav- 
ing Troas, he went to Neapolis, thence to Philippi, 
through Macedonia, and that part of Epirus which is 
next to Epidamnus, where he found a ship going to 
Rome, in which he embarked, with all convenient de- 
spatch, and so went forward to the goal, much in the 
same track which the Apostle Paul once took, on a simi- 
lq,r errand, just in time to witness the closing scenes of 
those wild sports, in which he was to act so conspicuous 
a part. No sooner had he landed at Puteoli, than the 
Brethren of Rome rushed to his embrace, entreating 
him, for God's sake, to desist' from his purpose, or at 
least, to allow them to intercede in his behalf. But no : 
the mind of the venerable Bishop was fully made up. 
No entreaties, no arguments, no prayers could disturb 
it. He was determined to proceed, and, although he was 
obliged to administer some reproof for their cowardice 
and fear, he knelt down in the sand upon the wide ocean 
side, and commended them to God in prayer, with all 
the interests of his suffering Church and people, and 
then went forward to his fate. It so happened, that this 

* Eusebius, lib. 5, chap. 36. 



48 FIESTCENTURY. 

very day was the grand gala day of the festival, and, at 
the same time, the most solemn of them all. When it 
was announced that Ignatius had arrived, the whole am- 
phitheatre was filled with amazement and uproar. Im- 
mediately he was ordered to appear. The command 
was instantly obeyed, and in came the holy and venera- 
ble man, attended by his guards, into the midst of the 
arena. There he stood, silent and serene, as a statue 
in its pride, awaiting his doom. The decree of the Em- 
peror was produced and read, and then he was cast forth- 
with to the beasts in their rage, amidst the furious cries 
of the multitude, and in a few moments, nothing was 
left of his mortal remains, but a few fleshless bones, 
which his friends were permitted to inter.* Thus per- 
ished, for the Faith of Christ, in the city of Rome, on 
the 20th day of December, A. D. 107, the holy and ven- 
erable Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, at the advanced age 
of 80 years.f 

Never did a man perish amidst the tears and regrets of 
a wider circle of friends. The sympathies of a thousand 
hearts were his : nay, more, the overflowing tenderness 
and prayers of the whole Christian Church were united 
in his behalf. From one end of Christendom to the 
other, his fate was universally deplored, because he was 
looked upon as the Master Spirit of the Church. He 
was one of her best and truest sons. He held a high and 



* These remains were taken to Antioch, and deposited near one 
of the gates in the suburb of the city. — See Burton's Ecc. Lee. vol. 
2, p. 32. 

t Spanheim's Ecc. Hist. London ed. 1840, p. 191 ; and Burton's 
Ecc. Lee. vol. 2, p. 23. 



IGNATIUS. 49 

prominent place in her councils. He took a bold and ac- 
tive part in all her concerns. Everywhere, he was known 
and revered. When he fell, therefore, before the rage of 
Trajan, every Christian heart in the wide realm of Csesar 
was moved with compassion. And, " although no afflic- 
tion, for the present, seemeth to be joyous, but grievous ;" 
yet, such, an event could not take place without some 
beneficial result. The feeling was contagious. It took 
hold upon the thoughts and sympathies of those around. 
Hearts that were never moved before, were moved then. 
Many who never thought about the cause for which a 
Saviour died, were led to think about it then, when 
they saw this Martyr die. Multitudes were induced 
to embrace Christianity, who had no idea what 
Christianity was, till they beheld this suffering saint, or 
heard his cruel doom. Then it was, that the glorious 
thought was first irradiated, and the stern Roman hearts 
of multitudes were touched, as if by God's own hand. 
Thus, it will be seen, that " the blood of the Martyrs has 
ever been the seed of the Church." And although such 
scenes are not to be desired, yet they have ever been 
productive of good, and only good. Indeed, it is the 
economy of God, always to " bring good out of evil, light 
out of darkness, order out of confusion, and even to 
make the wrath of man to praise Him ;" and, therefore, 
while we would deprecate such an event, as one of the 
most calamitous and severe that could well be conceived, 
still, we believe, it would yet redound to the glory of 
God, and the salvation of souls, thus to try his Church. 
It was in the midst of bloody times like these, not 
only that the richest seeds were sown, but the choicest 
fruits were gathered for the Church. It was from one 



50 FIRSTCENTURY. 

of these, that the Epistles of Ignatius, above alluded to, 
were gathered. They were the product, as we have 
seen, of a man on his way to martyrdom. They were 
written in the midst of great and grievous troubles. In- 
deed, we owe it to these very troubles, that such Epistles 
now exist. The Churches to which they were sent cher- 
iiihed them with the fondest regard. Other Churches 
sought them, and did likewise ;' and so others, until, 
finally, they became the precious property of the whole 
Christian Church, which no time or circumstances could 
impair. In this way, they have been handed down to 
us, as a legacy of inestimable value. So we have re- 
ceived them, and so we regard them. They are deposi- 
tories of truth, pure as they were penned. Although, it 
is true, they have been assailed and traduced, as forgeries 
and lies, by those who are inimical to the truths which 
they contain ; yet, after being subjected to the most 
rigid examination of all parties and all sects in religion, 
there is scarcely a party or a sect in existence, which 
has not acknowledged the seven smaUe?' Epistles of Igna- 
tius, as published by Usher and Vossius, to be both au- 
thentic and genuine. 

When such menus Grotius and Le Clerc, Vossius and 
Blondell, Hammond and Pearson, Mosheim and Lard- 
ner, the most of whom were not Episcopalians, and of 
course had no particular interest to subserve by their 
admission, have each in their turn declared this to, be 
their honest opinion, it were idle for us to cavil or dis- 
sent. Surely we need not scruple to receive them, since 
the late learned Dr. Burton has said that, " next to the 
writings of the Apostles, they are the most interesting 
documents which the Church possesses. They are the 



IGN A TIUS. 51 

writings of a man who was contemporary with the Apos- 
tles, and who received more than the ordinary influences 
of the Holy Spirit. We must not expect, however, in- 
seven short letters, written by a man who was on his 
way to execution, anything like an argumentative ex- 
position of the Christian faith. But they are filled with 
expressions of the most sincere and affecting piety ; and 
the question of Church Government cannot be discussed, 
so far as relates to primitive customs, without a perusal 
of the Epistles of Ignatius."* 

According entirely with the views entertained by this 
distinguished writer, and believing them to be the genu- 
ine productions of Ignatius, we commend them with con- 
fidence to the reader. And if they shall be found to 
contain, as we shall presently see, the most positive and 
unequivocal evidence in favour of a Threefold Ministry 
in the Church, it is clear, that they not only confirm 
what St. Clement has said, but actually settle the mat- 
ter in debate. But let us see. Take, for example, the 

EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 
Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church 
which is at Ephesus in Asia, most deservedly happy, 
being blessed through the greatness and fulness of God 
the Father, and predestinated before the world began, 
that it should be always unto an enduring and unchange- 
able glory, being united and chosen through his true 
passion, according to the will of the Father and Jesus 
Christ our God : all happiness, by Jesus Christ and 
his undefiled grace, 

1. I have heard of your name, much beloved in God, 
* Burton's Ecc. Lcc. vol. 2, p. 28. 



52 FIRST CENTURY. 

which ye have very justly attained by a habit of right- 
eousness, according to the faith and love which is in 
Jesus Christ our Saviour, how that, being followers of 
God, and stirring up yourselves by the blood of Christ, 
ye have perfectly accomplished the work which was 
con-natural unto you. For hearing that I came bound 
from Syria, for the common name and hope, trusting 
through your prayers to fight with beasts at Rome, that 
so by suffering I may become indeed the disciple of Him 
" who gave himself to God an offering and sacrifice for 
us," (ye hastened to see me ;) I received, therefore, in 
the name of God, your whole multitude in Onesimus,* 
who hy inexpressible love is ours, hut according to thejlesh 
is your Bishop, whom I beseech you, by Jesus Christ, to 
love, and that you would all strive to be like unto him. 
And blessed be God who has granted unto you, who are 
so worthy of him, to enjay such an excellent Bishop. 

2. For what concerns my fellow-servant Burrhus and 
you, most blessed Deacon, in things pertaining to God, I 
entreat you that he may tarry longer, both for yours and 
your Bishop's honour. And Crocus also, worthy both 
our God and you, whom I have received as the pattern of 
your love, has in all things refreshed me, as the Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ shall also refresh him ; together 
with Onesimus, and Burrhus, and Euplus, and Fronto, 
in whom I have, as to'your charity, seen all of you. 
And may I always have joy of you, if I shall be worthy 
of it. It is, therefore, fitting that you should, by all means, 
glorify Jesus Christ, who hath glorified you, that by a 

* Stoned to death at Rome in the eleventh year of Trajan, A. D. 
109. See Cave's Lives, p. 312. 



IGNATIUS. 53 

uniform obedience, '* ye may be perfectly joined together 
in the same mind, and in the same judgment, and may 
all speak the same things concerning everything ;" and 
that being subject to your Bishop and Presbytery, ye 
may be wholly and thoroughly sanctified. 

3. These things I prescribe to you, not as if I were 
somebody extraordinary, (for though I am bound for his 
name, I am not yet perfect in Christ Jesus,) but now I 
begin to learn, and I speak to you as fellow-disciples to- 
gether with me. For I ought to have been stirred up 
by you, in faith, in admonition, in patience, in long- 
suffering. But, forasmuch as charity suffers me not to 
be silent towards you, I have first taken upon me to ex- 
hort you, that ye would all run together, according to the 
will of God. For even Jesus Christ, our inseparable life, 
is sent by the will of the Father, as the Bishops appoint- 
ed unto the utmost bounds of the earth are by the will of 
Jesus Christ. 

4. Wherefore it will become you to run together, ac- 
cording to the will of your Bishop, as also ye do. For 
your famous Presbytery (worthy of God) is fitted as exactly 
to the Bishop as the strings are to the harp. Therefore, 
in your concord, and agreeing charity, Jesus Christ is 
sung, and every single person among you makes up the 
chorus ; that so being all consonant in love, and taking 
up the song of God, ye may, in perfect unity, with one 
voice, sing to the Father by Jesus Christ, to the end that 
he may both hear you, and perceive by your works that 
ye are indeed the members of his Son. Wherefore it is 
profitable for you to live in an unblamable unity, that so 
ye may always have a fellowship with God. 

5. For if I, in such a little time, have had such a fami- 



54 FIRST CENTURY. 

liarity with your Bishop, (I mean not a carnal, but spiri- 
tual acquaintance with him,) how much more must I think 
you happy, who are so joined to him, as the Church is to 
Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ to the Father, that so all 
things may agree in the same unity. Let no man deceive 
himself. If a man be not within the altar, he is deprived 
of the bread of God. For if the prayer of one or two be of 
such force, as we are told, how much more powerful shall 
that of the Bishop and the whole Church he ! He, there- 
fore, that does not come together into the same place with 
it, is proud, and has already condemned himself. For it 
is written, " God resisteth the proud." Let us take heed, 
therefore, that we do not set ourselves against the Bishop, 
that we may he suhject to God. 

6. The more any one sees his Bishop silent, the more 
let him revere him. For whomsoever the Master of the 
house sends to he over his own household, we ought in like 
manner to receive as we would do him that sent him. It is, 
therefore, evident, that we ought to look upon the Bishop 
even as we would do upon the Lord himself. And, indeed, 
Onesimus himself does greatly commend your good order 
in God — that you all live according to the truth, and 
that no heresy dwells among you. For neither do ye 
hearken to any one more than to Jesus Christ, speaking 
to you in truth.* 

REMARKS. 

1. Could any man write in this way, if a Bishop was 
nothing more than a mere Presbyter in the Church of 
Ephesus ? Nay, could a Bishop and a Presbyter be the 

* Archbp. Wake's Translation, Oxford ed., 1841. 



IGNATIUS. 55 

same, when the former is declared " to be sent by the 
Master himself to be over his own household," the Church, 
and consequently, "that we ought to look upon the 
Bishop even as we would do upon the Lord himself I" 
Surely no one can imagine for a moment that a Bishop 
and a Presbyter sustained one and the same office. For 
the Bishop is represented, as the chief Ruler and Over- 
seer of the Church, whom all, without distinction, are 
bound to honour and obey. And instead of countenanc- 
ing the idea, that either the Presbyters or the Deacons 
are exempt from this duty, or that they are equally with 
him entitled to the same regard, or that the Presbyters 
were joint Rulers and Overseers of the Church, in any 
sense, co-ordinate, thus forming, as the Presbyterians 
affirm, " a bench of Ruling Elders," it is expressly stated, 
" that it will become them, not only to run together 
according to the will of their Bishop," but they are exhort- 
ed " not to set themselves against the Bishop, that they 
may be subject to God," if they would preserve the peace 
and order and unity of the Church entire. 

2. And this is clearly the intention of the writer, from 
the fact, that the Bishop is always placed first and alone. 
There was but one such Bishop in a Church, while the 
Presbyters and Deacons were many. Thus, in the first 
paragraph, the Bishop, whose name was Onesimus, is dis- 
tinctly mentioned. In the second, Burrhus, the blessed 
Deacon, is spoken of, with others ; and in the fourth 
paragraph, the Presbytery, or body of Presbyters, is said 
to be, in consequence of their unanimity, " as exactly 
fitted to the Bishop as the strings are to the harp ;" prov- 
ing, beyond all controversy, that here, in the Church of 
Ephesus, they had a Bishop, not only who was the chief 



56 FIRST CENTURY. 

Ruler and Overseer of the flock, but Presbyters and Dea- 
cons also, to assist him in the discharge of his duties ; 
thus making together the three distinct Orders of the 
Ministry, for which we contend. And this, instead of 
being an anomaly, or only confined to this particular 
Church, Ignatius expressly states, that it was even so, 
" unto the utmost bounds of the earth ;" and that, too, not 
by human appointment, or by some strange concurrence 
of men, in respect to this one regimen and no other ; but 
we are told, that it was by " the will of Jesus Christ" him- 
self.* If this be so, the Ministry of the Christian Church, 
according to this writer, is not only ApostoHc and Divine, 
as to its origin, but it consists also of three distinct Orders 
or grades of Ministers. In proof of this, if further proof 
were wanting, we adduce the 

EPISTLE TO THE MAGNESIANS. 

1. " Seeing, then, I have been judged worthy to see 
you by Damas, your most excellent Bishop, and by your 
very worthy Presbyters, Bassus and Apollonius, and by 
my fellow-servant Sotio, the Deacon, in whom I rejoice, 
forasmuch as he is subject unto his Bishop, as to the 
grace of God, and to the Presbytery, as to the law of 
Jesus Christ, I determined to write to you." 

2. " Wherefore it will become you also not to use 
your Bishop too familiarly upon the account of his youth, 
but to yield all reverence to him, according to the power 
of God the Father — as also I perceive that your holy 
Presbyters do — not considering his age, which indeed, to 

* Euseb. lib 3, chap. 23. 



IGNATIUS. 57 

appearance, is young, but as becomes those who are pru- 
dent in God, submitting to him, or rather not to him, but 
to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Bishop of us 
all. It will therefore behoove you, with all sincerity, to 
obey your Bishop, in honour of Him whose pleasure it is 
that ye should do so, because he that does not do so, de- 
ceives not the Bishop whom he sees, but affronts Him 
that is invisible ; for whatsoever of this kmd is donQ, it 
reflects not upon man, but upon God, who knows the 
secrets of our hearts." 

3. " Forasmuch, therefore, as I have, in the persons 
before mentioned, seen all of you, in faith and charity, I 
exhort you, that ye study to do all things in a Divine con- 
cord : your Bishop presiding in the place of God, your 
Presbyters in the place of the Council of the Apostles, 
and your Deacons, most dear to me, being intrusted with 
the Ministry of Jesus Christ, who was with the Father 
before all ages, and appeared in the end to us. Where- 
fore, taking the same holy course, see that ye all reve- 
rence one another ; and let no one look on his neighbour 
after the flesh ; but do you all mutually love each other 
in Jesus Christ. Let there be nothing that may be able 
to make a division among you ; but be ye united to your 
Bishop, and those who preside over you, to be your pattern 
and direction in the way to immortality." 

4. " As therefor^ the Lord did nothing without the 
Father, being united to him, neither by himself, nor yet by 
his Apostles, so neither do ye anything without your Bishop 
and Presbyters; neither endeavour to let anything appear 
rational to yourselves apart ; but being come together 
into the same place, have one common prayer, one sup- 
plication, one mind, one hope, in charity and in joy unde- 



68 FIRSTCENTURY. 

filed. There is one Lord Jesus Christ, than whom no- 
thing is better. Wherefore come ye all together, as unto 
one Temple of God ; as to one altar, as to one Jesus 
Christ, who proceeded from one Father, and exists in one, 
and is returned to one." 

REMARKS. 

1. Here, too, as in the former Epistle, we have the 
three Orders of the Ministry most clearly defined. Not 
only is the Bishop mentioned by name, but two of his 
Presbyters and one of his Deacons ; and all these, not 
excepting the Deacons, are said to be, " entrusted with 
the Ministry of Jesus Christ." They were not mere 
Laymen, except the Bishop, as some would have us be-, 
lieve, but true and lawful Ministers of the Gospel. 

2. In order to show us, too, that the Bishop and Pres- 
byters did not sustain the same office, or that the names 
by which they were distinguished, were not convertible 
terms for the same rank of the Ministry, as some affirm, 
both Presbyters and Deacons were required to pay all 
possible respect to the Bishop. And although they 
might be tempted, in this instance, to withhold from 
him all that honour and obedience which were his 
due, on account of his extreme youth, or, at least, 
apparent youth, yet they are exhorted " to yield all 
reverence to him, according to the power of God 
the Father, submitting to him, or rather not to him, 
but to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Bishop 
of us all." And he who should refuse to comply, is told, 
in so many words, that " he reflects not upon man, but 
upon God, who knows the secrets of our hearts." The 
Bishop was thus, evidently, the Head of the Church 



IGNATIUS. 59 

over which he was placed. In everything he was Chief. 
Nothing could be done, or even attempted, without first 
consulting him. It was not only so when they were 
apart, but when they came together for the purpose of 
transacting any business, he always presided, " in the 
place of God," as a matter of right. His was not a 
temporary office, which was made and unmade at the 
pleasure of his associates, but one which was permanent, 
and always held by the same person. He was not a 
Bishop to-day, and a mere Presbyter to-morrow. No : 
the man who was once a Bishop, was always a Bishop, 
unless degraded or deposed from the Ministry for some 
sufficient cause. Accordingly, whenever he and his 
associates assembled, he was their Bishop, and was to 
be respected as such. Whenever they were not assem- 
bled in council, he was still their Bishop, and was thus 
invested not only with permanent superior dignity, but 
with permanent superior power, to which they were in 
duty bound to submit. 

3. And now, can any one prevail upon himself to be- 
lieve that such a course of proceeding would be adopted, 
much less permitted, as it was by the Presbyters and 
Deacons of the Church at Magnesia, if their Bishop, in 
virtue of his office, were nothing more than a mere Pres- 
byter ? We cannot conceive it possible, without doing 
violence to reason. And, hence, we are constrained to 
say, that Bishop and Presbyter were distinct officers in 
the Ministry of the Church to which this Epistle was 
addressed, the former of whom was evidently the supe- 
rior of the two. Admitting this, as we must, the three- 
fold character of the Ministry is determined at once to 
consist of Bishop, Presbyters and Deacons. That such 



60 FIRST CENTURY. 

was not an isolated case, or only known to obtain in one 
or two instances at best; but was 'the general and uni- 
form Ministry of the Church, wherever it was planted, 
in Apostolic times, may be shown by the testimony of 
the same author, in his 

EPISTLE TO THE TRALLIANS. 

Ignatius, who is also called TheophoruSy to the holy Church 
which is at Tralles, in Asia ; beloved of God the Father 
of Jesus Christ ; elect and worthy uf God, having peace 
through the flesh, and blood, and passion of Jesus Christ, 
our hope in the resurrection which is in him : which also 
I salute in its fulness, continuing in the Apostolical char- 
acter, wishing all joy and happiness unto it, 

1. " I have heard of your blameless and constant dis- 
position through patience, which not only appears in 
your outward conversation, but is naturally rooted and 
grounded in you ; in like manner as Polybius, your Bishop, 
has declared unto me, who came to me to Smyrna, by 
the will of God and Jesus Christ ; and so rejoiced toge- 
ther with me in my bonds for Jesus Christ, that, in effect, 
I saw your whole Church in him. Having, therefore, re- 
ceived the testimony of your good will towards me for 
God's sake, by him, I seemed to find you, as also I knew 
that ye were, the followers of God." 

2. " For whereas ye are subject to your Bishop as to 
Jesus Christ, ye appear to me to live not after the man- 
ner of men, but according to Jesus Christ, who died for 
us, that so believing in his death, ye might escape death. 
It is, therefore, necessary, that as ye do, so without your 
Bishop you should do nothing ; also be ye subject to your 



IGN AT lU S . 61 

Presbyters, as to the Apostles of Jesus Christ, our hope ; 
in whom, if we walk, we shall he found in Him. The Dea- 
cons, also, as being the Ministers of the mysteries of Jesus 
Christ, must by all means please all ; for they are not the 
Ministers of meat and drink, but of the Church of God, 
Wherefore they must avoid all offences, as they would 
do fire." 

3. " In like manner, let all reverence the Deacons as 
Jesus Christ; and the Bishop as the Father ; and the 
Presbyters as the Sanhedrim of God, and College of 
the Apostles. Without these there is no Church. Con- 
cerning all which I am persuaded that ye think after the 
very same manner. ^^ 

4. " I exhort you, therefore, or rather not I, but the 
love of Jesus Christ, that ye use none but Christian 
nourishment, abstaining from pasture which is of another 
kind ; I mean heresy. For they that are heretics con- 
found together the doctrine of Jesus Christ with their 
own poison, whilst they seem worthy of belief, as men 
give a deadly poison mixed with sweet wine, which he 
who is ignorant of, does with the treacherous pleasure, 
sweetly drink in his own death." 

5. " Wherefore guard yourselves against such per- 
sons ; and that you will do, if you are not puffed up, 
but continue inseparable from Jesus Christ our God, and 
from your Bishop, and from the commands of the Apos- 
tles. He that is within the altar is pure ; hut he that is 
without, that is, that does anything without the Bishop, 
and Presbyters, and Deacons, is not pure in his con- 
science.^^ 



62 FIKST CENTURY. 

REMARKS. 

1. Nothing surely can be more positive and to the 
point than this. For here, too, we have not only the 
Bishop of the Trallians, distinguished, as in the former 
Epistles, by name, but over and over again, the Presby- 
ters and Deacons under him, are exhorted to honour and 
obey him, " even as they do the Father and Jesus Christ." 
And that, too, not as Laymen, or men engaged in secu- 
lar pursuits, but as members of the same clerical profes- 
sion. For while the Presbyters are compared to " the 
Sanhedrim of God and College of the Apostles," the 
Deacons also are called, " not Ministers of meat and 
drink, but Ministers of Jesus Christ, in the Church of 
God." Without these three orders, which were evi- 
dently in the Church of Tralles, the writer immediately 
says, " there is no Church." In other words, it was con- 
sidered by Ignatius a matter of so much consequence to 
have these three grades of Ministers in the Church, that 
he did not hesitate to declare, that where they were not, 
a Church could not be. 

2. And this, it would seem, was not a mere matter of 
opinion, entertained by him alone, and for which he 
alone was responsible, but we are led to believe, that it 
was the universal sentiment, or at least, the sentiment so 
universally established, that he felt the utmost confidence 
in saying forthwith, " concerning all which I am per- 
suaded that you think after the very same manner." 
And so we believe must every one think, who has any 
knowledge of the organization and order of the Early 
Church. For it was not only essential to its jjerfection 
to have the three orders of the Ministry just alluded to. 



IGNATIUS. 63 

in any given Church, but essential to its being. The 
Church could not exist in its integrity, pure and uncor- 
rupt, without these regularly authorized Ministers to 
manage its affairs. A Bishop, with his Presbyters and 
Deacons, were grand, distinctive elements of a true 
Church of God. Accordingly, in every Apostolic Church, 
to which Ignatius addressed his valedictory epistles, with 
the single exception of Rome, he mentions, with as much 
distinctness as language can express, the three unvary- 
ing orders. Thus, for example, he v/rites in the super- 
scription of his 

EPISTLE TO THE PHILADELPHIANS. 

Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church 
of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, which 
is at Philadelphia in Asia ; which has obtained mercy, 
being fixed in the concord of God, and rejoicing ever- 
more in the passion of our Lord, and being fulfilled in 
all mercy through his resurrection ; which also I salute 
in the blood of Jesus Christ, which is our eternal and 
undefiled joy, especially if they are at unity with the 
Bishop, and Presbyters ivho are with him, and the 
Deacons appointed according to the mind of Jesus 
Christ ; whom he -has settled according to his own 
will in all firmness, by his Holy Spirit. 

1. " Which Bishop I know obtained that great Minis- 
try among you, not of himself, neither by men, nor out 
of vain glory, but by the love of God the Father, and 
our Lord Jesus Christ ; whose moderation I admire, who, 
by his silence, is able to do more than others, with all 
their vain talk, for he is fitted to the commands as the 



64 FIESTCENTURY. 

harp to its strings. Wherefore my soul esteems his mind 
to God most happy, knowing it to be fruitful in all vir- 
tue, and perfect ; full of constancy, free from passion, 
and according to all the moderation of the living God." 

2. " Wherefore, as becomes the children both of the 
light and of the truth, flee divisions and false doctrines : 
but where your Shepherd is, there do ye, as sheep, fol- 
low after ; for there are many wolves who seem v/orthy 
of belief, that with a false pleasure lead captive those 
that run in the course of God ; but in your concord they 
shall find no place." 

3. " Abstain, therefore, from those evil herbs which 
Jesus Christ does not dress, because such are not the 
plantation of the Father. Not that I have found any 
division among you, but rather all manner of purity. 
For as many as are of God, and of Jesus Christ, are also 
with their Bishop. And as many as shall with repen- 
tance return into the unity of the Church, even these 
shall also be the servants of God, that they may live 
according to Jesus Christ. Be, not deceived, brethren; 
if any onefolloios him that makes a schism in the Church, 
he shall not inherit the kingdom of God: if any one 
walks after any other opinion, he agrees not with the pas- 
sion of Christ.''^ 

4. " Wherefore, let it be your endeavour to partake all 
of the same holy Eucharist ; for there is one flesh of our 
Ziord Jesus Christ, and one cup, in the unity of his blood ; 
one altar, as also there is one Bishop, together with his 
Presbytery, and the Deacons, my fellow-servants ; that 
so, whatsoever ye do, ye may do it according to the will of 
God." 

6. " For although some would have deceived me, ac- 



IGNATIUS. 65 

cording to the flesh, yet the Spirit, being from God, is 
not deceived ; for it knows both whence it comes, and 
whither it goes, and reproves the secrets of the heart. 
/ cried whilst I was among you, I spake with a loud- 
voice. Attend to the Bishop, and to the Presbytery, and 
to the Deacons. Now some supposed that I spake this 
as foreseeing the division that should come among you. 
But He is my witness, for whose sake I am in bonds, 
that I knew nothing from any man ; but the Spirit spake, 
saying on this wise : Do nothing without the Bishop; 
keep your bodies as the temples of God ; love unity ; flee 
divisions ; be the followers of Christ, as He was of his 
Father." 

6. " I therefore, did, as became me, as a man composed 
to unity. For where there is division and wrath, God 
dwelleth not. But the Lord forgives all that repent, if 
they return to the unity of God, and to the council of 
the Bishop." 

7. " Now as concerning the Church of Antioch, which 
is in Syria, seeing I am told that through your prayers, 
and the bowels which ye have towards it in Jesus Christ, 
it is in peace, it will become you, as the Church of God, 
to ordain some Deacon, to go to them thither as the am- 
bassador of God ; that he may rejoice with them when 
they meet together, and glorify God'' s name. Blessed be 
that man in Jesus Christ, who shall be found worthy of 
such a Ministry ; and ye yourselves also shall be glori- 
fied. Now if ye be willing, it is not impossible for you 
to do this for the sake of God ; as also the other neigh- 
bouring Churches have sent them, some Bishops, and 
some Priests and Deacons.^^ 

8. " As concerning Philo the Deacon of Cilicia, a 



66 FIRST CENTUEY. 

most worthy man^ he still ministers unto me in the toord of 
Gody together with Rheus of Agathoplis* a singular 
good person, who has followed me even from Syria, not 
regarding his life ; these also bear witness unto you." 

REMARKS. 

With what assurance could any man write in this 
manner, unless there were three distinct orders in the 
Church, and all of them " Ministers of the word of God," 
not excepting the Deacons ? Nay more, how could any 
man speak thus, unless these several orders existed in 
that very Church to which this Epistle was addressed ? 
It is impossible to imagine how a direct answer in the 
affirmative can be evaded. Indeed, unless there were 
three orders of Ministers in that Church, there seems to 
be no sense whatever in exhorting the members who com- 
pose it " to avoid schisms, to flee divisions and false doc- 
trines, to partake of the same holy Eucharist;" telling 
them, at the same time, as a reason for so doing, that 
" there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one 
cup, in the unity of his blood, one altar ; as also there 
is one Bishop, together with his Presbyters, and the 
Deacons, according to the will of God." Now, to whom 
does this language apply ? Nay, to whom else can it 
apply, save to the Ministers of the Church at Philadel- 
phia ? Were not these the persons whom the people, or 
laity of that Church, were exhorted to obey, to adhere to, 
to attend to in all their godly admonitions and counsels ? 
And was it not in regard to the first of these that they 
were so earnestly entreated " not to do anything with- 

* A Deacon also, see Epis. to Smyrna, sec. 10. 



IGNATIUS. 67 

out the Bishop?" Certainly, there cannot be a doubt 
respecting it ; for the Bishop is evidently represented as 
the chief Ruler and Shepherd of the flock committed to 
his charge, the very source and centre of unity, while 
the Presbyters and Deacons were merely his associates in 
the work ; thus making together, as before, the three 
distinct orders of the Ministry in the Church of Phila- 
delphia. And this was by no means a rare or solitary 
case, as we have seen already, and as we may see again, 
by consulting the 

EPISTLE TO THE SMYRNJIANS. 

1. " See that ye all follow your JBisliop, as Jesus 
Christ the Father ; and the Presbytery as the Apostles ; 
and reverence the Deacons, as the command of God. Let 
no man do any thing of what belongs to the Church 
separately from the Bishop. Let that Eucharist be look- 
ed upon as well established, which is either offered by 
the Bishop, or by him to whom the Bishop has given his 
consent. Wheresoever the Bishop shall appear, there let 
the people also be ; as where Jesus Christ is, there is the 
Catholic Church. It is not lawful without the Bishop, 
either to Baptize^ or to celebrate the holy Communion; 
but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing 
unto God ; that so whatsoever is done, may be sure and 
well done." 

2. " It is a good thing to have a due regard both to 
God, and to the Bishop : he that honours the Bishop, 
shall be honoured of God. But he that does anything 
without his knowledge, ministers unto the Devil. Let all 
things, therefore, abound to you in charity : seeing ye 
are worthy." 



oa FIRST CENTURY. 

3. *' Ye have done well, in that ye have received Philo, 
and Rheus Agathopus, who followed me for the Word of 
God, as the Deacons of Christ our God. Who also gave 
thanks unto the Lord for you, forasmuch as ye have re- 
freshed them in all things. Nor shall anything that you 
have done be lost to you. My soul be for yours, and my 
bonds, which ye have not despised, nor been ashamed of. 
Wherefore, neither shall Jesus Christ, our perfect faith, 
be ashamed of you." 

4. " The love of the Brethren that are at Troas, salute 
you ; from whence I write to you by Burrhus, whom ye 
sent to me, together with the Ephesians, your Brethren ; 
and who had, in all things, refreshed me. And I would 
to God, that all would imitate him, as being a pattern of 
the Ministry of God. May His grace fully reward him ! 
/ salute your very worthy Bishoj), and your venerable 
Presbytery ; and your Deacons, my fellow servants, and 
all of you in general, and every one of you in particular, 
in the name of Jesus Christ, and in His flesh and blood ; 
in His passion and resurrection, both fleshly and spiritu- 
ally ; and in the unity of God with you. Grace be with 
you, and patience evermore." 

REMARKS. 

1. What language can be more explicit than this? 
After reading it, can any one think of denying that there 
were three distinct Orders of Ministers in the Church of 
Smyrna, when they are twice mentioned, and as often 
styled, Bishop, Presbyters and Deacons ? Alas ! what 
wilful blindness must have taken possession of the man 
who dares to say that such is not the case ! On what 
principle of interpretation, would he deny the fair and 



I G N A T I US . 69 

literal meaning of the following passage ? viz. : " I 
salute your very worthy Bishop^ and your venerable 
Presbytery, and your Deacons, my fellow servants." 
Does not this enumerate the different Orders as clearly 
and fully as ever language did ? Surely we need not 
stop to answer. 

2. And then, again, in regard to the superiority of 
the Bishop over the other Ministers alluded to, when 
we see what singular pre-eminence is given by Ignatius 
to him, above his fellows, how can any one doubt, but 
the Bishop occupied a more distinguished and honoura- 
ble post than they ? For, is it not written, that " he 
who honours him, shall be honoured of God ? But he 
that does anything without his knowledge, ministers 
unto the Devil." And hence, the propriety of the ex- 
hortation which follows, " Let no one do anything of 
what belongs to the Church, separately from the Bishop. 
Let that Eucharist be looked upon as well established, 
which is offered by the Bishop, or by him to whom the 
Bishop gives his consent. And, again, " it is not law- 
ful without the Bishop, either to baptize, or to cele- 
brate the Holy Communion ; but whatsoever he shall 
approve of, that is well pleasing unto God." How 
strangely this^ must sound in the ears of those who are 
accustomed to look upon a Bishop with horror and dis- 
gust ! How profanely and wickedly must Ignatius seem 
to speak, to those who assume the Office of the Ministry, 
and perform all its sacred functions, in utter disregard, 
nay, in utter contempt of a Bishop's vested rights ! 
And what a blow does this Epistle strike at the root of 
that parity, which is the boast of so many in our day, 
and the pattern after which they have fashioned them- 



70 FIRST CENTURY. 

selves into what they call a Church, after the Primitive 
Model — or Apostolic Plan ! If this writer is to be believ- 
ed, Episcopacy is one of the first characteristics of a 
true Church. Have they this Order of the Ministry, 
without which, it is said " there is no Church ?"* Or, have 
they Orders of the Ministry inferior to Bishops, which, in 
any sense, deserve, like these, to be called " Ministers 
of the Word," and " Ambassadors of God ;" or are they 
only laymen in disguise, divested of all such powers ? 
Alas ! we need not answer questions, which every. schism 
answers, in undissembled words and deeds, to all the 
winds of Heaven, that these are not the Ministers they 
crave. 

And yet, we see in this Epistle, not only the three 
grades repeatedly set forth ; but the superiority of the 
first grade over the others, as repeatedly announced. 
Indeed, so important was a Bishop to the well-being of 
the Church, that neither Presbyters nor Deacons could 
preach, or baptize, or administer the communion, with- 
out his express sanction or consent ! Thus, they were 
merely the creatures of his power : the dependants on 
his will. They were nothing, without his action ; they 
could do nothing, without his permission. And yet, 
whenever this was granted, they were Ministers : Minis- 
ters of the Word and Sacraments : Ministers of God: Am- 
bassadors of Jesus Christ, as they are once and again de- 
nominated. There is no distinction indeed made between 
any of them in this respect ; but when they are spoken 
of separately or officially, then they are classified ac- 
cording to their rank, and styled. Bishop, Presbyters, 

* Epistle to the Trallians, sec. 3. 



IGNATIUS. 71 

and Deacons. Such were the Orders, beyond all per- 
adventure, in the Church of Smyrna, over which Poly- 
carp, the friend and fellow-disciple of Ignatius, presided 
as Bishop. In proof of this, read the superscription, 
and what follows of his 

EPISTLE TO POLYCARP. 

Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to Polycarp, 
Bishop of the Church which is at Smyrna : their 
overseer, but rather himself overlooked by God the 
Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ : all happiness. 

1. "Let nothing be done without thy knowledge and 
consent : neither do thou anything but according to the 
Will of God : as, also, thou dost with all constancy. 
Let your assemblies be more full : inquire into all by 
name. Overlook not the men and maid-servants : 
neither let them be puffed up ; but rather let them be 
the more subject to the glory of God, that they may 
obtain from him a better Uberty. Let them not desire 
to be set free at the public cost, that they be not slaves 
to their own lusts." 

2. "Flee evil arts : or, rather, make not any mention of 
them. Say to my sisters that they love the Lord ; and 
be satisfied with their own husbands, both in the flesh 
and spirit. In like manner, exhort my Brethren, in the 
name of Jesus Christ, that they love their wives, even 
as the Lord the Church. If any man can remain in a 
virgin state, to the honour of the flesh of Christ, let him 
remain, without boasting : but if he boast, he is undone. 
And if he desire to be more taken notice of than the 
Bishop, he is corrupted. But it becomes all such as are 



72 FIRSTCENTURY. 

married, whether men or women, to come together with 
the consent of the Bishop, that so their marriage may 
be according to godliness, and not in lust. Let all 
things be done to the honour of God." 

3. " Hearken unto the Bishop, that God also may hear- 
ken unto you. My soul he security for them that submit 
to their Bishop f with their Presbyters and Deacons. And 
may my portion be together with theirs in God. Labour 
with one another ; contend together, run together, suffer 
together, sleep together, and rise together ; as the Stewards 
and Assessors, and Ministers of God. Please him under 
whom ye war, and from whom ye receive your wages. 
Let none of you be found a deserter ; but let your Bap- 
tism remain as your arms — your Faith as your helmet — 
your Charity as your spear — your Patience as your 
whole armour. Let your works be your charge, that so 
you may receive a suitable reward. Be long-suffering, 
therefore, towards each other, in meekness, as God is 
towards you. Let me have joy of you in all things." 

REMARKS. 

1. In such kind and affectionate terms does the vene- 
rable Ignatius entreat Polycarp, and his Church, to cul- 
tivate all the graces and virtues, which the Gospel 
enjoins. His heart was full of tenderness and love, to- 
wards these dear Brethren at Smyrna. For there it 
was, that he received the first Christian sympathy and 
regard, after he left his beloved home to give his body 
to the beasts. And now, as he was about to leave 
Troas, and to set his face towards Rome, he was pour- 
ing out his last words into the ear of that friend, and 



IGNATIUS 



73 



that Church, which had shown him so many attentions 
on his way. 

2. Among all the other minute things which occupies 
his attention in this letter, he does not forget the dignity 
and importance of the Episcopal office. The subject 
was still one of moment and interest to a suffering saint. 
For, after stating the duties which devolved upon a 
Bishop, as a good and faithful shepherd of the flock, he 
exhorts his fellow Christians thus : " Hearken unto the 
Bishop, that God may hearken unto you. My soul be 
security for them that submit to their Bishop, with their 
Presbyters, and Deacons.''^ And, then, after stating, with 
as much explicitness as we can possibly desire, that 
there was but one Bishop in that Church, and that one his 
beloved Polycarp, he gives us to understand, that wher- 
ever there was a Church, a Bishop, with his Presbyters 
and Deacons, were its only authorized Ministers. There 
were no more and no less than these in any Church, 
and certainly in no Church, to which he addressed his 
final thoughts. In one and all, with the exception of 
his Epistle to the Church at Rome, the three Orders of 
the Ministry are clearly spoken of, and that, too, in such 
a way, that, if these Epistles are admitted to be the 
genuine productions of Ignatius, then, there can be no 
doubt of their truth : but, if these are rejected as inter- 
polations, made for the purpose of sustaining these views 
of the Ministry, we see no way of avoiding the conclu- 
sion, that the whole are spurious and false, because they 
are so interwoven with the subject matter of the letters, 
as to allow of no compromise between the whole or a 
part. But as the genuineness and authenticity of these 
Epistles have been already placed beyond the reach of 



74 FIRSTCENTURY. 

doubt, by the learned labours of a Hammond and a Pear- 
son, we have no hesitation in declaring, that if they 
prove any one thing, above all others, to have existed in 
the early Church, that one thing is the three-fold charac- 
ter of the Ministry. 

3. And here we might safely rest our cause, upon the 
testimony of Ignatius. It is sufficient of itself to esta- 
blish the Apostolical and Divine origin of Episcopacy, 
without recourse to any other author. All the Orders, 
for which we contend, as well as the duties peculiar to 
each, are carefully defined, and clearly set forth in these 
Epistles. They contain a body of evidence, in reference 
to this subject, perfectly conclusive. And were there 
nothing else, we might feel assured, as well as we can 
feel assured of anything, that Bishops, Presbyters, and 
Deacons, were the only Orders of the Ministry known, 
" even to the utmost bounds of the earth." Behoving 
this to be the fact, beyond all peradventure, let us see 
what Polycarp, the sainted Bishop and Martyr of 
Smyrna, has to say : and, especially, whether hi§ testi- 
mony, and that of Ignatius, is substantially the same. 




POLYCARP. 



" Angel of Smyrna, child of John, 
And friend of that beloved one, 
Beloved of Him, whose love is life, 
How^ didst thou, left to vi^orldly strife, 
Bear with thee, as in holiest trance. 
The music of that countenance, 
Which spoke the wisdom of the skies, 
And his own Master's charities ? 
Again that voice from Patmos came 
Witli auguries of thy couch of flame,* 
And bore his Saviour's praise to thee, 
Whose praise is immortality, — 
' To death be faithful me to own. 
And I will give to thee life's never-fading crown.' " 

The Cathedral. 



* He had dreamed three days before his martyrdom that he was sleeping on 
pillow of fire. 




'^^^%,w. 



siiiiiiiiiiiiii^ 



5^^ 



III 



POLTCAHP. 



PoLYCARP was born, as many suppose, in the city of 
Smyrna, towards the close of Nero's reign, about A. D. 
67. His parents were exceedingly poor and humble, in- 
somuch, that he sustained the character of a slave, and 
was so brought up, in the family of a noble matron named 
Callisto, who made him her heir. It was through her 
influence, doubtless, that he became, at a very early age, 
the pupil of Bucolus, the Bishop of Smyrna, by whom he 
was made Deacon and Catechist in his Church ; and is 
also reputed to have been, at a later period of his novici- 
ate, the disciple of St. John, in company with Ignatius. 
Under the instruction'of this eminent servant of Christ, 
he made great proficiency in every department of secu- 
lar and spiritual learning. And such was the purity and 
excellence of his character, that upon the death of Buco- 
lus, he was immediately selected as the most suitable 
person to occupy his place, and was accordingly ordain- 
ed by his beloved teacher and friend. Bishop of Smyrna, 
about A. D. 82.* 



* Spanheim's Ecc. Lee. p. 192, Lond. ed., and Euseb. Ecc. Hist, 
lib. 5, chap. 36. 



78 



FIRST CENTURY. 



For a long time he was the intimate friend and com- 
panion of some of the Apostles, and had constant inter- 
course with those who had seen our 'Lord in the flesh. 
All this is confirmed by Irenseus, in his third book against 
Heresies, in the following words : " And Polycarp, a man 
who had been instructed by the Apostles, and had fami- 
liar intercourse with many that had seen Christ, and had 
also been appointed Bishop by the Apostle in Asia, in 
the Church of Smyrna, whom we also have seen in our 
youth, for he lived a long time, and to a very advanced 
age, when, after a most glorious Martyrdom, he departed 
this life. He always taught what he had learned from 
the Apostles, what the Church had handed down, and 
what is the only true Doctrine. All the Churches bear 
witness to these things, and those that have been the 
successors of Polycarp, to the present time, a witness of 
the Truth much more worthy of credit, and much more 
certain than either Valentine or Marcion, or the rest of 
those perverse teachers."* 

In addition to the testimony thus given, respecting the 
life, character, and eminent services of Polycarp, as a 
Minister of Jesus Christ, there is one circumstance re- 
lated in the same connection, so replete with interest and 
power, that we cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of 
repeating it here. And we do it, not so much for the 
purpose of commending him still more to your admiration 
and regard, but because it helps to throw light on the 
benign influence and value of his subsequent labours, 
when he had passed the meridian of his days. The cir- 
cumstance to which we refer, the historian relates in 

* Euseb. lib. 4, chap. 14. 



POLYCARP. 79 

these words : " And the same Polycarp, coming to Rome 
under the Episcopate of Anicetus, (A. D. 158,) turned 
many of the aforesaid heretics to the Church of God, 
proclaiming the one and only true faith, that he had re- 
ceived from the Apostles, that, viz. which was delivered 
by the Church." 

Just then, the most prominent leader of these per- 
verse teachers, was a man by the name of Marcion, 
whom Polycarp, it seems, had hitherto known and re- 
buked for his crimes in Asia.* He is said to have been 
a vile and furious heretic. f By some mysterious provi- 
dence, Polycarp and he met each other in the street, 
after an interval of many years. Marcion instantly re- 
cognised the mild and beaming face of Polycarp ; but 
instead of turning away from him in remorse, and smit- 
ing upon his breast, at the remembrance of his sins, he 
cried out in a bold and boisterous manner, " Dost thou 
acknowledge us ?" Whether he expected, by this rude 
sally, to throw the venerable Bishop off his guard, and 
thus to extort from him some expression of respect that 
might be turned to his account, it is not material to in- 
quire ; but the swift and pungent answer was, " I do 
acknowledge thee for the first born of Satan." The 
effect was electric. It fell like a thunderbolt upon his 

* Burton's Ecc Lee. vol. 2, p. 106. 

t Marcion, we are told by Dr. Cave, was born in Pontus. His 
father was a Bishop. At an early period he fell in love with the 
monastic mode of life ; but in consequence of taking some undue 
liberties with a female of rank, whom he shamefully seduced, he was 
excommunicated from the Church, by his own parent, and never 
allowed to return. In order to avoid the odium, he went to Rome, 
some time before Polycarp arrived, or, as Dr. Burton thinks, about 
A.D. 141 or 2. 



80 FIRST CENTURY. 

heart. Not a word escaped him. He was dumb as an 
idol ; because he was utterly confounded. Never was a 
man so completely set at nought. That he deserved all 
the scorn and reproof which he received, every rightly 
constituted mind will admit ; but that he should receive 
them at the hands of such a meek and amiable man as 
Polycarp is reputed to have been, may certainly be a 
matter of surprise. And yet, when we reflect that the 
tenets of Marcion, and other heretics of the day, were 
totally subversive of all truth, and were at that very time 
making havoc of the Church, we are at no loss to ac- 
count, either for the sudden burst of indignation, or for 
the strong language of reprobation which fell from the 
lips of Polycarp. It was no time for compromise, and 
surely no place for debate ; and, therefore, we conceive, 
that he did well to let his assailer know at once the 
length and breadth of his desert. 

It must not be inferred from this, however, that the 
object of Polycarp in going to Rome, was solely with the 
view of attacking the heretics of that city, as if he had 
not enough of just such characters at home to occupy his 
every thought and effort. Neither was it for the purpose 
of gratifying a desire to contemplate the remains of her 
ancient and glorious days, or like too many 

" Who have crossed the earth, 
That they may give the hours to meditation, 
And wander, often saying to themselves, 
This w^as the Roman Forum ! 
Here Cincinnatus pass'd, his plough the while 
Left in the furrow ; and how many more. 
Whose laurels fade not, who still walk the earth. 
Consuls, Dictators, still in curule pomp. 



PO L Y C AR P. 81 

Sit and decide ; and as of old in Rome, 

Name but their names, set every heart on fire."* 

Although all this might be laudable and well, for the 
antiquary or the scholar, in seeking to revive his rem em- 
brances of Rome, thus to traverse its streets and visit its 
courts, Poly carp had no such object. Nor yet does it 
seem to have been his M^ish to go and pay some flatter- 
ing compliment to the Bishop of that See ; but his only 
object was, as we can learn, to bring about, if possible, 
an amicable adjustment of the dispute which was then 
pending between the Eastern and Western Churches, in 
reference to the day on which the Paschal festival at 
Easter should be kept. The former, for example, con- 
tended that it should be observed the same day on which 
the Jewish festival was observed, which was the four- 
teenth day of the first month ; the latter said that it 
should be observed on the day preceding Easter, because 
it interrupted the solemn fast which always ushered in 
that joyful period. 

And then, again, there was another difficulty which 
disturbed the harmony of the Churches. That difficulty 
was in regard to the time of keeping Easter. Thus, the 
Asiatics alleged that it ought to be kept as they kept it, 
viz. on the third day after the fourteenth day of the first 
month, without reference to the day of the week on 
which it might fall ; while the Western Churches insist- 
ed that it ought to be kept on a Sunday, and that the 
Sunday following the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, 
which was the Sunday after the Jewish Passover. f 

* Rogers's Italy. 

t Whateley on the Book of Common Prayer, p. 40. 



82 



FIRST CENTURY 



Which of these were right, we cannot presume to de- 
cide, because both parties pleaded ApostoHc practice in 
favour of their respective customs. This being the case, 
both were equally tenacious of their views. Neither was 
willing to own itself at fault. And the consequence was, 
that in a very little while, the peace of the whole Church 
was threatened, to such an extent, by the discussion of 
the subject, that the Bishops of Asia resolved to send one 
of their number to Rome, to confer with Anicetus, the 
Bishop of that See, not because he was thought to be the 
Supreme Head and Arbiter of the Church, but simply 
because he was the most conspicuous and violent of all 
their opponents. Polycarp was unanimously chosen to ex- 
ecute this trust. If any one could succeed, it was he. No 
man was better qualified. Accordingly, the most favoura- 
ble issue was predicted. And yet, when Polycarp arrived 
at Rome, as we have seen, and he and Anicetus met to 
discuss their differences, it was soon discovered that no- 
thing could be done. Although they appear to have en- 
tertained the most kindly feelings towards each other, 
and felt the greatest solicitude to reconcile all matters 
in debate, still they found it utterly impossible to do so, 
in consequence of the vexed and intricate nature of the 
subjects. There were too many facts and dates, on both 
sides, to keep their minds at bay. Thus, for example, 
in regard to the time of keeping Easter, the authority to 
each was so conclusive and clear, in favour of his own 
day, that " neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp not 
t(i observe it, because he had always observed it with John, 
the disciple of our Lord, and the rest of the Apostles with 
whom he associated ; and neither did Polycarp persuade 
Anicetus to observe it, who said that he was bound to 



POL YCARP . 



83 



maintain the practice of the Presbyters before him. 
Which things being so, they communed with each other, 
and in the Church, Anicetus yielded to Polycarp, out of 
respect, no doubt, the office of consecrating, and they 
separated from each other in peace."* 

There is not on record, perhaps, a more delightful in- 
stance of that " charity which sufFereth long and is 
kind," than that exhibited on this occasion. If those 
who witnessed it, did not learn a lesson from it, never to 
be forgotten, it was not because they were not instructed 
so to do, by the lustre of their example. And yet, we 
are sorry to say, that such was not the case. For, how- 
ever kind and conciliating these two distinguished in- 
dividuals may have been in their intercourse with each 
other, it was not long before this same Bishop of Rome 
not only, but all his adherents manifested a very different 
disposition. And were it not, that we have the most un- 
doubted evidence for the fact, no one would believe, 
that there were many then living, who would see the 
day, when a Bishop of Rome| would hurl his anathemas 
against all the Bishops of Asia, and even go so far, as to 
excommunicate many of them from the communion of the 
Catholic Church. J In this he was sustained, moreover, by 
a great majority of the Laity and Clergy of that portion 
of it to which he had the honour to belong. Instead of 
putting an end to the difficulty, however, such a course 
was calculated to make the matter worse ; and, indeed, 
did provoke such a feud, that the Eastern and Western 
Churches not only continued to dispute about Easter, 



* Euseb. lib. 5, chap. 24. f Victor, 

t Euseb.lib. S.chap. 24. 



84 FIRST CENTURY. 

and were thus at variance with each other ; but they 
continued to observe different days, until the Council of 
Nice assembled, A. D. 325, when the whole niatter was 
thoroughly discussed and jfinally settled, in accordance 
with the views entertained by Anicetus and his friends. 
From that time to this, the holy festival at Easter has 
been observed on one and the same day, throughout 
every part of the Catholic Church. 

After Polycarp had performed the part assigned him, 
in this difficult affair, he returned to Smyrna, and there 
continued to exercise the duties of his high station, with 
unwearied diligence and zeal. Although he was now 
more then 90 years of age, he did not intermit his duties 
for a moment. All his time and talents were devoted 
to the service of his God. Accordingly, he enjoyed the 
most unbounded confidence and respect. As a Chris- 
tian and a Bishop, he was universally regarded as a 
model of perfection. Wherever Christianity obtained, 
or the writings of St. John were read, " the Angel of the 
Church of Smyrna"* was known and cherished with 
delight. He was almost embalmed in the hearts of a 
generation, whose fathers and fathers' fathers were the 
companions of his youth, or the children of his flock. 
What he was then, so he was now, zealous, and faithful, 
and true. He never varied, he never flinched, he never 
tired, but went on his way, not merely " rejoicing to the 
end," but " growing brighter and brighter unto the perfect 
day." And although he lived at a time when the stout- 
est hearts were made to quail, before the desolating fury 
of the storms that beat upon the Church, he withstood 

* Rev. ii. 9. 



POLYCARP. 



85 



them all, like a rock amidst the ocean. Not a hair of his 
head was touched. He seemed to lead a charmed life, 
when thousands and tens of thousands perished by his 
side. He was not only " kept as the apple of an eye, 
but he was hid under the shadow of the Almighty," from 
the ruthless hand of the destroyer. His very aspect 
covered him like a shield : his very sanctity protected 
him from assault. 

And yet, the time came, when these glorious ensigns 
of the venerable and good Bishop, singled him out for 
the fiercest attacks of the Heathen. From his superior 
character and standing, they were led to regard him as 
the chief supporter of the Christian cause in his day, and 
hence, under the influence of misguided zeal for their 
gods, and the altars of their faith, they supposed, that if 
they could dispose of Polycarp, all the calamities, which 
were daily occurring to the Empire, would speedily have 
an end. Accordingly, during one of the public enter- 
tainments of the people, when it was customary to wind 
up with some unusual display of their ferocity towards 
the disciples of our Lord, and they had just been reeking 
their vengeance upon a noble youth, named Germanicus, 
and others, without producing the least possible effect 
upon their constancy and faith, the populace, becoming 
weary of the sport, began to cry out, " Away with these 
wicked wretches, let Polycarp be brought." Immediately 
an order was given for his arrest. A band of soldiers 
was sent to take him and bring him before the Governor. 
Being apprised of his situation by some kind friends, he 
was earnestly entreated to withdraw for a season, till the 
malice and rage of the people should be spent. With 
great reluctance, and much against his wishes, he yielded^ 



86 FIESTCENTURY. 

to their importunities, and secluded himself in a small 
village, in the neighbourhood of the City. But even 
there, he was actively employed, not, indeed, in the ex- 
ercise of his Episcopal functions, but in offering up 
prayers continually to God, for the protection of his flock, 
and the conversion of those who thirsted for his blood. 
In the course of a few days, however, his retreat was 
discovered by the party sent to ferret him out, and it is 
said, that they were so affected by the singular piety and 
appearance of the Bishop, as scarcely to be able to ex- 
ecute their commission. But still their sympathies must 
be suppressed ; — their mandate must be obej^'ed, without 
reserve. And, although they were treated by him with 
the utmost courtesy and respect, and were even invited 
to eat and to drink at his table, which they did, until he 
had finished the devotions in which he was engaged at 
their arrival ; they rose up to lay their ruthless hands 
upon his person. And then, under cover of the night, as 
was most fit for such a deed, they set him upon an ass, 
and took him off to the City. On the way they were 
met by Herod, the Chief Officer, accompanied by his 
father Nicetas, in a chariot. They commanded him to 
mount. As soon as he was seated, they began to per- 
suade him, saying, " What harm is there in it, to say, 
Lord Csesar, and sacrifice, (with the rest that is usual on 
such occasions,) and so be safe ?" But Polycarp, at first, 
answered them not : whereupon they continuing to urge 
him, he said, ** I shall not do what you persuade me to." 
When they saw that there was no hope of success, they 
first began to rail at him ; and then, in a rage, they threw 
him out of the chariot with so much violence as to lame 
him in the thigh. Not a murmur escaped him. No 



POLYCARF. 87 

curses, no imprecations were heaped upon the head of his 
despisers, but quietly and calmly rising from the ground, 
he pursued his onward way, rejoicing that he was counted 
worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ. It was not long 
before it was rumoured, that Polycarp was coming. Im- 
mediately every avenue was thronged with weeping and 
mourning friends, eager, not only to catch a last sight 
of his venerable form, but to beseech him to continue firm 
and faithful to the last. No fears, no threats, could stop 
these myriad tongues from uttering what they felt. Each 
one seemed to forget, that he might be led as a lamb to 
the slaughter next. Indeed, all thought was lost, save 
the simple one of offering up the prayer, " Be strong, 
Polycarp, and quit thyself like a man." 

At length, when the stadium was reached, he was led 
into it in the midst of the utmost confusion. The assem- 
bly was in a perfect uproar at the intelligence of his ar- 
rival. By many it was scarcely believed possible. And 
yet, in a moment, his venerable form appeared before their 
eyes. With a firm step and cheerful look he came up 
to the tribunal. As soon as the Pro-consul could com- 
mand attention, he asked him, " Whether he was Poly- 
carp ?" who, confessing that he was, he persuaded him to 
renounce Christ, saying, *' Have a regard for your age," 
with many other things of a like nature, such as is usual 
for them to say, concluding thus, " Swear by the genius 
of Cassar." Repent, and say, " Away with those that deny 
the Gods." But Polycarp, with a grave and serious 
countenance, and contemplating the whole multitude that 
were collected in the stadium, beckoned with his hand to 
them, and with a sigh looked up to Heaven, and said, 
"Away with the impious." As the Governor, however, 



88 FIRSTCENTURY. 

continued to urge him, and said, " Swear, and I will set 
thee at liberty ; revile Christ." Poly carp replied, 
" Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never 
did me wrong ; and how can I now blaspheme my King 
that has saved me ?" The Governor still continuing to 
urge him, and again saying, " Swear by the genius of 
Csesar," Polycarp answered, " If you are so vain as to 
think that I should swear by the genius of Caesar, as you 
say, pretending not to know who I am, hear my con- 
fession. I am a Christian. But if you wish to learn 
what the doctrine of Christianity is, grant me a day, and 
listen to me." The Pro-consul said, " Persuade the peo- 
ple." Polycarp replied, " I have thought proper to give 
you a reason of my faith ; for we have been taught to 
give magistrates and powers appointed by God, the 
honour that is due t;o them, as far as it does not injure us ; 
but I do not consider those the proper ones before whom 
I should deliver my defence." The Pro-consul then said, 
" I have wild beasts at hand, I will cast you to these, un- 
less you change your mind." He answered, " Call them : 
for we Christians are fixed in our minds not to change 
from good to evil, but it is well to change from evil to 
good." The Pro-consul again admonished him, by say- 
ing, " If you despise the wild beasts, I will cause you to 
be consumed by fire, unless you change your mind." 
To this, Polycarp answered, *' You threaten fire, that 
burns for a moment and is soon extinguished ; but you 
know nothing of the judgment to come, and the fire of 
eternal punishment reserved for the wicked. But why do 
you delay ? Bring what you will."* 

* Euseb. lib. 4, chap. 15. 



POLYCARP. 89 

Incensed by these repeated declarations of his faith, 
and amazed at the firmness and intrepidity of the man, 
the Governor ordered him to be burnt forthwith. No- 
thing could have been more grateful to the people. Both 
Jews and Gentiles, it is said, received the order with the 
loudest demonstrations of joy, and strove, with all possible 
haste, to collect materials for the purpose of carrying it 
into execution. As soon as the pile was prepared, and 
they were about to nail him to the stake, he said, " Let 
me alone as I am : for He that gives me strength to bear 
the fire, will also give me power without being secured 
by you with these nails, to remain unmoved on the pile." 
To this they consented, and merely bound him to the 
stake. And then closing his hands behind him, and lift- 
ing his eyes towards Heaven, he said, ** O Lord God 
Almighty, the Father of thy well-beloved and blessed 
Son, Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the know- 
led ge of Thee ; the God of Angels and powers, and of 
every creature, and especially of the whole race of just 
men who live in Thy presence ! I give Thee hearty thanks 
that Thou hast vouchsafed to bring me to this day and 
to this hour ; that I should have a part in the number of 
Thy martyrs, in the cup of Thy Christ, to the resurrection 
of eternal life, both of soul and body, in the incorruption 
of the Holy Ghost ; among which, may I be accepted 
this day before Thee, as a fat and acceptable sacrifice ; 
as Thou the true God, with whom is no falsehood, hast 
both before ordained and manifested unto me, and also 
hast now fulfilled it. For this, and for all things else, I 
praise Thee, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, by the eternal 
and heavenly High-Priest, Jesus Christ, Thy beloved 
Son; with whom, to Thee, and the Holy Ghost, 



90 FIRST CENTUEY. 

be glory, both now, and to all succeeding ages. 
Amen."* 

After the venerable Bishop had concluded this short 
prayer, the executioners kindled the fire, and in a few 
moments he was seen standing unmoved amidst the 
flames, as the eye-witnesses affirm, " not like burning 
flesh, but like gold or silver glowing in the furnace." In 
a little while, however, all was over. Polycarp was no 
more. " Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust," were liter- 
ally true of his body ; but his spirit was still unharmed. 
God had taken it to himself, leaving those who kill the 
body to feel how utterly impotent they are, when they 
find that they are not able to kill the soul.f Thus lived, 
and thus died, the holy and glorious martyr, Polycarp, 
Bishop of Smyrna, at the advanced age of 100 years. 
A. D. 167. 

The death of this faithful servant of Christ seemed to 
arouse the public mind to a sense of its enormity. From 
one end of the Roman Empire to the other, the burning 
of Polycarp was the all-absorbing topic of conversation. 
Pagans, as well as Christians, deplored it. Indeed, such 
was the feeling produced by it, that it immediately ar- 
rested the persecution. J The minds of men could not 
brook this outrage upon humanity. It was too much 
even for the hard and heartless idolator to bear. For 
when they saw such a man as Polycarp fall at the mere 
fiat of a mob, they knew not where it might end. Al- 

* Epis. of the Ch. of Smyrna. Arch. Bp. Wake's Trans, and 

Euseb. lib. 4, chap. 15. 

t Matt. 10, 28. 

JE useb. lib. 4, chap. 15. 



PO L YC AKP 



91 



though they had no idea, perhaps, that they would ever 
perish at the stake, in a similar manner ; yet they had 
some sympathy left for a mortal like themselves, whom 
they knew to be among the best of his kind. His meek- 
ness and piety and love, commended him to every heart. 
Not only did his own Church and people entertain the 
very highest veneration and regard for him, but all the 
Churches of Asia. Nay, more, had we said, all the peo- 
ple of Asia, or even all the civilized world, we had not 
said aught beyond the strictest bound of truth. For, we 
venture to affirm, that no man since the days of the 
Apostles, and perhaps, not even the Apostles themselves, 
enjoyed the confidence and esteem of mankind to a 
greater extent than he. And if ever a man was worthy 
to be thus honoured and beloved, that man was Poly- 
carp. 

We may fancy, therefore, but we surely never can por- 
tray, the consternation which prevailed when the news 
of his martyrdom was heard. With what horror was it 
received ! With what indignation was it spoken of by 
all men, in all ranks, in all countries ! There may have 
been, it is true, some exceptions, rare exceptions, we trust, 
to this remark ; but we are sure, that the most of those 
who witnessed it, how muchsoever they might openly 
affect to glory or rejoice in it, were anything but glad. 
The utter cruelty of the deed awakened sensibilities 
which were never known to exist till then, and, perhaps, 
never had existed, but for this wanton and outrageous 
act. And hence, instead of arresting the cause for which 
this holy man had sacrificed his life, there were multi- 
tudes, doubtless, standing by, contemplating the awful 
scene, who went away more strongly impressed than be- 



92 



FIRST CENTURY. 



fore of the truth of our rehgion, and firmly resolved, if 
ever they had the opportunity, not merely to profess it, 
but to suffer for it, should they be called ; so that, in all 
probability, more hearts were touched, more eyes were 
opened, more souls were saved, and more victories gain- 
ed on that day, by the sublime death of Polycarp, than 
it would be easy to dispose of, in like manner, on any 
other which ever dawned upon the world. Indeed, it 
was even then difficult to restrain many from rushing 
headlong to the blazing pile, and sharing the martyr's 
cruel fate ! 

The way is now prepared for making the inquiry, whe- 
ther Polycarp has left any writings, which are still ex- 
tant, and if any, what those writings are ? In answer 
to these questions, we regret to say, that the only work 
of his which has come down to us, is an Epistle written 
to the Phihppians, some sixty years before his death, or 
about A. D. 108. All his other works, which are said 
to have been many, have perished in the lapse of time, 
and this only has escaped, because it happened to be 
appended to the Epistles of Ignatius, for which so great 
a love was entertained by all the early Christians. But 
still there is matter enough in this single epistle, when 
duly considered, to answer the purpose for which we shall 
quote it, and that is, to prove the Threefold Ministry of 
the early Church. 

But then, again, it may be asked, how are we certain 
that this is the same Epistle which the ancients had ?" 
In other words, how do we know it to be the genuine 
and authentic production of Polycarp? Perhaps, it 
will be sufficient to state in reply, that it has never 
been disputed. No man, of any party, has ever ventur- 



POLYCARP. 93 

ed to assail it. Unless, indeed, the assertion may be so 
considered, that this Epistle originally ended at the Dox- 
ology, and that what comes after that, respecting the 
Epistles of Ignatius, is the work of some unknown hand. 
But as this has been shown to be, over and over again, 
without any foundation whatever, we discard the idea 
as a fable, and unite with a distinguished writer* in 
declaring, "that there is not, perhaps, any work ex- 
extant that has more entire evidence of its being genuine 
than this ; in short, that if it shall be lawful to doubt of 
this, there will be no monument of antiquity left, which 
we may not as well call in question, and reject as spuri- 
ous.'' It is, therefore, considered above suspicion. The 
evidence in its favour is so conclusive, that it cannot be 
questioned with impunity. From the earliest ages down 
to the present time, it has always been esteemed as the 
genuine work of the author whose name it bears, and, 
like the Epistle of St. Clement, it was held in such re- 
pute, as not only to be read in the Churches for centu- 
ries, but to be accounted very little inferior to the Holy 
Scriptures. When it was discontinued, we are not in- 
formed ; but Irenaeus says, that in his day, (A. D. 200,) 
" it was in every body's hands, and was read by every 
one, for the benefit of faith and manners ;" and Eusebius 
states, that it was publicly read in the Churches of his 
day, (A. D. 325,) and " ranked among the most valua- 
ble of all the early writings." Under these circum- 
stances, we may quote with entire confidence and re- 
spect the Epistle of Polycarp. 

* Le Moyne. 



94 FIESTCENTURY. 

THE EPISTLE OF POLYCARP 

TO THE 

P H I L I P P I A IT S . 

" Polycarpi and the Presbyters that are with him, to the 
Church of God, which is at PhiHppi : mercy unto you, 
and peace, from God Almighty, and the Lord Jesus 
Christ our Saviour, be multipHed." 

1. "Knowing, therefore, that God is not mocked, we 
ought to walk worthy both of his command and of his 
glory. Also the Deacons must be blameless before Him, 
as the Ministers of God in Christ, and not of men ; not 
false accusers, nor double-tongued ; not lovers of money, 
but moderate in all things ; compassionate, careful ; 
walking according to the truth of the Lord, who was the 
servant of all ; whom, if we please in this present world, 
we shall also be made partakers of that which is to come, 
according as He has promised to us, that He will raise 
us from the dead, and that, if we shall walk worthy of 
Him, we shall also reign together with Him, if we be- 
lieve. In like manner, the younger men must be un- 
blamable in all things ; above all, taking care of their 
purity, and to restrain themselves from all evil. For it 
is good to be cut off from the lusts that are in the world ; 
because every such * lust warreth against the Spirit ;'* 
and ' neither' fornicators, nor effeminate, nor abusers of 
themselves with mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of 
God,'t nor they who do such things as are foolish and 

* 1 Peter ii. 11. f 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. 



POLTCARP. 95 

unreasonable. Wherefore, ye must needs abstain from 
all these things, heing subject to the Priests and Deacons, 
as unto God and Christ, 

2. " And let the Presbyters be compassionate and mer- 
ciful towards all ; turning them from their errors ; seek- 
ing out those that are weak ; not forgetting the widows, 
the fatherless, and the poor ; but always * providing what 
is good both in the sight of God and man ;'* abstaining 
from all wrath, respect of persons, and unrighteous judg- 
ment ; and especially being free from all covetousness ; 
not easy to believe anything against any ; not severe in 
judgment, knowing that we are all debtors in point of 
sin." 

3. " Wherefore I exhort you all that ye obey the word 
of righteousness, and exercise all patience, which ye have 
seen set forth before your eyes, not only in the blessed 
Ignatius, and Zozimus, and Rufus, but in others among 
yourselves, and in Paul himself, and the rest of the Apos- 
tles. Being confident of this, that all these have not 
run in vain, but in faith and righteousness, and are gone 
to the place that was due to them from the Lord, with 
whom also they suffered ; for they loved not this pre- 
sent world, but Him who died, and was raised again by 
God for us." 

4. " / am greatly afflicted for Valens, who was once a 
Presbyter among you, that he should so little understand 
the place that was given to him in the Church. Where- 
fore I admonish you that ye abstain from covetousness, 
and that ye be chaste and true of speech. ' Keep your- 
selves from all evil.'f For he that in these things can- 

♦ Rom. xii. 17. t 1 Thess. v. 22. 



96 FIRST CENTURY. 

not govern himself, how shall he be able to prescribe 
them to another ? If a man does not keep himself from 
covetousness, he shall be polluted with idolatry, and be 
judged as if he were a Gentile. Wherefore, I am exceed- 
ingly sorry both for him and for his wife, to whom God 
grant a true repentance. And be ye also moderate upon 
this occasion, and look not upon such as enemies ; but 
call them back as suffering and erring members, that ye 
may save your whole body ; for by so doing, ye shall 
edify your ownselves." 

5. " Ye wrote to me, both ye and also Ignatius, that 
if any one went from hence unto Syria, he should bring 
your letters with him, which also I will take care of as 
^oon as I shall have a convenient opportunity, either hy 
myself, or him whom I shall send on your account. The 
Epistle of Ignatius, which he wrote unto us, together 
with what others of his have come to our hands, we have 
sent to you, according to your order, which are subjoin- 
ed to this epistle, by which ye may be greatly profited ; 
for they treat of faith and patience, and of all things that 
pertain to edification in the Lord Jesus." 

REMARKS. 

1. The first thing, perhaps, which will strike the read- 
er with surprise, at the close of these extracts, is the fact, 
that Polycarp has nowhere enumerated, in connection, 
the three orders of the Ministry. All he does, is simply 
to mention, in the superscription of the Epistle himself 
and his Presbyters, thus, " Polycarp, and the Presbyters 
that are with him ;" while, in the first paragraph, he ex- 
horts the Church at Philippi " to be subject to the Pres- 
byters and Deacons, as unto God and Christ." If these 



POLYCARP. 97 

words, taken separately, are considered an exposition of 
the actual state of things, then we are led inevitably to 
the conclusion, that neither the Church at Smyrna, nor 
that at Philippi, had three distinct Orders, but only two, 
or even one. And yet, when we come to compare 
them together, it is easy to see what those sacred orders 
were, and that instead of numbering only one or two, 
they numbered tliree. Thus, for example, we have Poly- 
carp, with his Presbyters in the Church of Smyrna, and 
Presbyters and Deacons in the Church at Philippi. But 
as Presbyters in the one, are doubtless the same as Pres- 
byters in the other, the standing Orders, which remain, 
exclusive of Polycarp, are Presbyters and Deacons, 
Now, in regard to Polycarp, we admit that he is not de- 
nominated anything in this Epistle ; but the presumption 
is, surely, that he was not, strictly speaking, either a 
Presbyter or a Deacon, but something superior to either, 
from the manner in which he writes. Accordingly, all 
writers concur in denominating him " the Bishop of the 
Church of Smyrna," from the very earliest times. Not 
to multiply quotations, let Ignatius alone suffice. In his 
celebrated Epistle to Polycarp, which was written a Httle 
before this, while the Martyr was on his way to Rome, 
he not only addressed him thus, " Ignatius, who is also 
called Theophorus, to Polycarp, Bishop of the Church 
which is at Smyrna ;" but in the very same Epistle, he 
exhorts the people over whom God had made him over- 
seer, saying, " Hearken unto the Bishop, that God also 
may hearken unto you. My soul be security for them that 
submit to their Bishop, with their Presbyters and Dea- 
cons."^ Here, then, were three distinct Orders of Minis- 

* Epis, to Pol. 4. 



98 



FIRST CENT URY. 



ters in the Church of Smyrna, with Polycarp at their 
head, and that, too, at the very time, in all probability, 
when he wrote his Epistle to the Church at Philippi. 

2, Now, it needs no argument to prove, what must be 
so apparent at a glance, that although Polycarp does not 
mention his Deacons, in writing to the Philippians, still, 
he had them, beyond all peradventure ; and, therefore, 
we see no more reason to infer, from his silence respect- 
ing them, that the Church at Philippi was without a 
Bishop, than we have to infer that the Church at Smyrna 
was without its Deacons. For if we may infer, that be- 
cause the Bishop is not mentioned in the one case, there 
was no Bishop, and because there is nothing said about 
Deacons in the other, there were no Deacons, then we 
shall be forced to the conclusion, that Presbyters were 
the only permanent Order indispensable to the Ministry 
of the Church ; but if, on the other hand, we admit, as 
we must, from the evidence before us, that a Bishop and 
his Presbyters were in one Church, while Presbyters and 
Deacons were in the other, it is fair to infer, that Bishop, 
Presbyters and Deacons, were the standing Orders of the 
Ministry, not only in the Church of Smyrna, as we have 
seen, but in the Church of Philippi ; and hence, in every 
other Apostolic Church throughout the world, if unifor- 
mity in these be admitted as a sign. 

3. And yet, if the question should arise, why did not 
Polycarp address the Bishop of the Church at Philippi, 
instead of the Presbyters and Deacons ? we might reply 
by saying, because he was acting as such. Being 
without a Bishop, in all probability, at the time, he had 
been invited to take the provisional charge or oversight 
of the Church at Philippi, just as he had been of the 



POLYCARP. 99 

Church at Antioch, by Ignatius himself, when on his 
way to martyrdom. And this, we think, is manifest 
from the whole strain of the Epistle which we are now 
considering, and especially from that part of it where he 
speaks of bringing the Epistles of Ignatius with him, 
when he visits them, in compliance with their request ; 
or, if he should not be able to do so, that he will send 
some one with them, whenever he shall have a convenient 
opportunity, (5.) All this looks as if they had been de- 
prived, in some way, of their own Bishop, and were now 
depending upon another ; for no man surely could write 
or talk thus, without the express sanction or desire of the 
Church at Philippi. One Bishop had no right whatever 
to invade the territory of another, or to interfere in any 
way with the exercise of his power. Neither could any 
Church do it, without the concurrence of the Bishop ; 
but as this does not appear, or anything like it, in the 
present case, it is reasonable to infer that they had no 
Bishop of their own to consult, and hence, were only seek- 
ing the advice and aid of one whom all the world ador- 
ed. But whether it were so or not, the Church at Smyr- 
na certainly had three Orders within its pale, while the 
Church at Philippi had two, or nominally three, so long 
as Polycarp sustained the oversight among them, all of 
whom were real Ministers, and not Laymen in any sense, 
since the Deacons, as well as the Presbyters, are denomi- 
nated "the Ministers of God in Christ," (1.) 

4. Independent of this, however, there is still another 
way in which the existence of these orders may be shown. 
For, although we grant that the names of each are not to 
be found in the Epistle of Polycarp before us, yet we 
find, what every one must see is equally as plain and 



100 FIRST CENTURY. 

good, viz., the direct testimony of Poly carp in favour of 
the Epistles of Ignatius. Near the close of his Epistle, 
he employs language such as this, where he tells us that 
" they (viz. the Epistles of Ignatius,) treat of faith and 
pcttience, and of all things that pertain to edification in 
the Lord Jesus." Among these things, the sacred Orders 
of the Ministry are not the least conspicuous. To say 
nothing of the numerous incidental allusions, which are 
made to one or the other of the three orders, it is a re- 
markable fact, that they are there enumerated in connec- 
tion no less than eighteen times, thus, " Bishops, Presby- 
ters, and Deacons." Now, if the passages which con- 
tain these words existed in the time of Polycarp, the 
early Apostolic origin of these Orders is placed beyond a 
doubt. That they did exist, we have the fullest as- 
surance to believe. Indeed, the whole voice of antiquity 
is such, aside from their internal evidence, that we can- 
not reject them if we would ; but backed by these, and 
especially by the latter, we find that they are so inter- 
woven with the subject or theme of the writer, that no 
one of them can be removed, without creating a void, and 
impairing the sense to such a degree, as to render them 
absolutely worthless. And yet, with these very words 
before his eyes, Polycarp sanctioned and received the 
Epistles of Ignatius. Not only did he approve them him- 
self, and preserve them with care, but it is manifest he 
commends them to others, and spares neither labour nor 
expense in multiplying copies, for the benefit of distant 
Churches and friends. Now, is it reasonable to suppose, 
under circumstances like these, that if there were aught 
in them, inconsistent either with the doctrine, or disci- 
pline, or worship of the Church, he would have pursued 



POLYCARP 



101 



such a course ? Nay, can we imagine for a moment, 
that he would permit himself, or any one else within his 
reach, to engage in such a work, if he knew them to con- 
tain false and pernicious views respecting the Ministry 
of the Church ? It cannot be. Polycarp was not a man 
to let a matter like this pass in silence unrebuked. No 
temptation could have quieted his soul : no bribery or 
threats could have put a seal upon his lips. He would 
have singled it out, at all hazard, and exposed it to the 
world. But where has he done this ? In what line, or 
verse, or page of his on record, has he spoken aught in 
reference to the corrupted Ministry of the Church ? We 
have never seen it ; we have never heard of it ; but on 
the contrary, we are well assured, that he did every- 
thing in his power, not only to propagate and preserve 
the Epistles of Ignatius as they are, with these offensive 
words, " Bishop, Presbyters and Deacons," but to com- 
mend them, both by precept and example, wherever his 
influence went. So far as his Church and people are 
concerned, they saw in him and his associates, a perfect 
pattern of those very Orders which these Epistles every- 
where portrayed. The inference is, therefore, irresisti- 
ble, that Polycarp has thus, by his approval of the Igna- 
tian Epistles, in word and in deed, sanctioned whatever 
they contain. We consider him, in fact, as their en- 
dorser, and just as much responsible for the truth and 
integrity of their contents, as if he had written them 
himself. Indeed, if he had written them, they could not 
be invested with greater sanctity and force than they 
now are ; neither could they convey in more plain and 
positive terms than they do, the varied names and orders 
which the sacred Ministry assumed, not merely in his 



102 FIRST CENTURY. 

own Church, but in every other, " even to the utmost 
bounds of the world," as Ignatius himself hath said. 

5. In proof of this, we want no better evidence than 
these very Epistles, to show that such was the case in 
each of the following Churches, viz, : 

The Church of Ephesus, 
The Church of Magnesia, 
The Church of Tralles, 
The Church of Philadelphia, 
The Church of Smyrna. 

In other words, these five Churches, to which Igna- 
tius wrote as many Epistles, are not only represented 
therein as having Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons, but 
all of their Bishops, together with some of their Presby- 
ters and Deacons, are mentioned by name !* Here, 
then, are facts, which no human ingenuity can evade. 
They prove, if anything can prove, what is manifest to 
all, that there were three Orders of Ministers in each of 
these Churches. So Polycarp testifies, not from rumour 
or hearsay, but from actual and personal acquaintance. 
For the very men who sustained those Orders in the 
Churches just alluded to, except the last, came to Smyr- 
na, to meet Ignatius while on his way to Rome : there 
they saw him daily : there they had long and precious 
interviews with him, and not only with him, but with 
Polycarp also, at whose house both he and they were 
guests. If the testimony of an eye-witness is anything 
like an authoritative decision of the question, here we 
have it, from the lips of Polycarp himself. Nothing 

* See Epis. to the Eph. 



POLYCARP. 103 

more seems to be required. The testimony is per- 
fect. 

6, And yet, we might proceed to show, were it neces- 
sary, that there were Bishops, as well as Presbyters and 
Deacons too, in the Church of Jerusalem, in the Church 
of Rome, in the Church of Alexandria, in the Church of 
Corinth, and in many others, with whom Polycarp was 
more or less familiar. With their Bishops, at all events, 
he was on terms of intimacy. The most of them 
he had seen. They had grown up under his eye. 
They had entered upon their responsible trusts, with a 
single exception perhaps, in his day. Nay, more, he not 
only knew them, but the men who preceded them, in 
every instance, up to the very Apostles of our Lord, 
who had commissioned them to preach the Gospel and 
rule the flock of Christ. He was, in truth, the great liv- 
ing link between the past and future Rulers of the 
Church for more than half a century .either way. When 
the Epistles of Ignatius were written, (A. D. 108,) he 
stood, as it were, mid way between the Apostles of the 
first and the Bishops of the second century. He either 
knew them personally, or communicated with them. 
They honoured him like a Father. He was a Patriarch 
among these Patriarchs of the Church. Insomuch that 
before his death, he could number the tenth Bishop in 
succession who had occupied the See of Rome ; and 
even that one,* instead of being a stranger to him, was 
a friend beloved, with whom he had taken sweet coun- 
sel, in his own house, in his own Church, reared amidst 
the splendid palaces and halls of proud, imperial kings. 

* Anicetus. 



104 FIRST CENTURY. 

And hence, although he might be ranked, as he usually is, 
among the Fathers of the second century, yet, as we see 
no reason why he is not just as much entitled to a place 
among the Apostles and Apostolic men of the first, we 
have chosen rather to number him among the latter, 
from whom his office and sentiments were derived, than 
among the former, whose grand, living exemplar he was 
in everything connected with our Saviour and His 
Church. 

The testimony of Polycarp, therefore, we consider a 
matter of great consequence, in reference to the Minis- 
try and Government of the Church. What that testi- 
mony is, is clearly demonstrable from the Epistles of Ig- 
natius, whose views he evidently approved. That they 
were Episcopal, is beyond all contradiction. That they 
were so developed and maintained throughout the whole 
of his eventful life, in all places, and under all circum- 
stances, there cannot remain a doubt. That he was a 
Bishop, surrounded by his Presbyters and Deacons, is 
obvious. That this was no anomaly or innovation upon 
the established order of things, is equally apparent, be- 
cause it was everywhere the same. Indeed, had we gone 
a step farther, and said, that the triune character of the 
Godhead was not more clearly declared than the Three- 
fold Ministry of the Church, we had not said too much. 
The one is just as susceptible of proof as the other ; and 
what is more, the proof is oftentimes drawn by the most 
eminent writers in support of a Trinity of persons in the 
Deity, from this very Epistle of Polycarp, which we now 
adduce in favour of a Trinity of persons in the estab- 
lishe4 Ministry of the Church. If we reject the one for 
want of evidence, on the same ground, or for the same 



POLYCARP. 105 

reason, we ought to reject the other. We see no differ- 
ence. There ought to be no difference. The one is 
just as apparent and just as much entitled to belief as 
the other. Nothing can make it plainer. The tes- 
timony is clear, is ample, is conclusive. In a word, it 
is such as all reasonable men ought to respect, and will 
respect, if they have any regard for the simple, unaffect- 
ed truth, as they find it. 

And hence, it only remains to say, that so far as the 
first century or Apostolic age is concerned, the Three 
Orders of the Ministry are perfectly made out ; and 
that, too, not merely by the testimony of one witness, 
and that one an eye-witness, but by the testimony of tliree 
holy and venerated servants of Christ, whose words no 
sophistry or malice can impugn ; thus enabling us to 
affirm, with no little pleasm^e and delight, *' that in 
the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word has 
been established." 

And now, having gone thus far, let us not grow weary 
of the work, but let us proceed forthwith to examine the 
writings of those Fathers who flourished immediately 
after the Apostolic age, during the next one hundred 
years, and see whether they sustain the views, which 
those before them have expressed, with so much confi- 
dence and truth, in relation to the Threefold Ministry of 
the Church. 



lERENJlUS 



" From new-born Lyons oft thy memory tum'd 
Unto the earlier east, and fondly yearn'd 
For Polycarp and Smyrna, and the youth 
Of grave Religion fair. But wakeful Truth 
Within Tradition's holy citadel 
Kept watch, and her stamp'd treasiu-es guarded well 
Her Apostolic store ; thou by her light 
Didst gxiide the bark amid the gathering night 
Of heresies, and th' helm didst sternly hold, 
Lifting a Martyr's voice, serene and bold, 
Would that again thy city of the Rhone 
Might break her Roman bands, and thee her champion own !" 

The Cathedral. 




SECOND CENTUEY. 



IV. 



IREN^US. 



Iren^us was a Greek : but whether a native or not, 
remains a matter of doubt. The most prevalent opinion, 
however, is, that he was born of Christian parents, at or 
near Smyrna, the capital of Asia Minor, about A, D. 97. 
And this opinion seems to gather favour from the fact, 
that at a very early age he was placed under the discip- 
line and care of Papias,* Bishop of Hierapolis, a disciple 
of St. John, or rather, of a certain Presbyter John, as 
Eusebius affirms,^ and was thence transferred, probably 
upon the removal of his parents, to Polycarp, Bishop of 
Smyrna. 

This latter circumstance, together with some others 
of a deeply interesting character, is related in a letter 
which Irenseus wrote at a late period of his life to Flo- 
rinus, who had once been his friend and fellow pupil 
under Polycarp, but had then departed from the faith, 
and taken a conspicuous part among the Heretics of the 

* Papias lived till A. D. 163, when he fell a Martyr, at Pergamus. 
Burton's Lee. vol. 2, p. 138. 
t Lib, 3. chap. 39. 



110 SECOND CENTURY. 

day at Rome. The gushing memories of the past, 
prompted him to reason with him thus. " These doc- 
trines," says he, " O, Florinus, to say the least, are not 
of a sound understanding. These doctrines are incon- 
sistent with the Church, and calculated to thrust those 
that follow them into the greatest impiety. These doc- 
trines, not even the heretics out of the Church ever at- 
tempted to assert. These doctrines were never deliver- 
ed to thee by the Presbyters before us, those who also 
were the immediate disciples of the Apostles. For I 
saw thee when I was a boy in the lower Asia with Poly- 
carp, moving in great splendour at court, and endeavour- 
ing by all means to gain his esteem. I remember the events 
of those times much better than those of more recent 
occurrence : for what we learn in our youth, grows up 
with us, and at last becomes part of our mind itself. 
Thus, I can describe even the place, where the sainted 
Polycarp used to sit and discourse, and his goings forth 
and comings in, and his manner of life, an^ his personal 
appearance, and his discourses to the people ; and his 
account of what passed between him and St. John, and 
the other disciples who had seen the Lord ; and his re- 
collections of the sayings of those who were eye- 
witnesses of the Word of Life, of the account of His 
miracles, and His teaching, which was all agreeable to what 
is related in the Scriptures. To all this, I used to listen 
with earnestness, through the mercy of God, vouchsafed 
to me, recording them, not on paper, but in my heart ; 
and through God's grace I ever have them accurately in 
my mind. And I can bear witness in the sight of God, 
that if that blessed and ApostoKc Presbyter had heard 
any such thing as this, he would have exclaimed, and 



IR E N^ us. Ill 

stopped his ears, and, according to his custom, would 
have said : ' O, good God, unto what times hast thou 
reserved me, that I should tolerate such things !' He 
would have fled from the place in which he had sat or 
stood, hearing doctrines like these. From his Epistles, 
also, which he wrote to the neighbouring Churches, in 
order to confirm them, or to some of the Brethren, in 
order to admonish or exhort them, the same thing may 
be clearly shown/'* 

In such strong and fervent language did Irenseus place 
before Florinus the iniquity of his doctrines, and plead 
with him to abandon the error of his way. It was a 
noble effort to reclaim a wandering Brother from the de- 
vious paths, in which he was wending his way to perdi- 
tion. It was an effort, too, which could hardly fail of 
accomplishing the object. For what can be more beau- 
tiful and touching than the manner in which he repre- 
sents his venerable instructor listening to his sentiments, 
and as soon as he finds what they are, closing his ears, 
and running away, as if it were pestilence and death to 
breathe the same air, or to tread the same court ? And 
yet, beautiful and touching as the picture is, we believe 
it produced little or no impression upon his mind. He 
was too far gone to heed such appeals, even though they 
came from the lips of one whom he had regarded with 
affection and delight. As then, so now, false doctrines 
seem to close up the sympathies of the soul, making man 
an alien or a stranger, even to his nearest friends. 
That this was the reason, however, why Florinus left 
the School of Polycarp, we do not mean to assert, 

* Euseb. Lib. 5, chap. 20. 



112 SECOND CENTURY. 

because, we are well assured, from many sources, that 
he did not embrace these fatal errors* for several years 
afterwards ; but that this was the reason why he was 
estranged from Polycarp, and perhaps from his early 
associate and friend, may be readily conceded. 

And yet, the very sentiments, which in the one case 
would have produced, and, doubtless, did produce, such a 
wide separation, between persons that were once so in- 
timately united, in the other, produced a very different 
result, Irenseus was for many years the bosom friend 
and companion of Polycarp. Their early intimacy had 
cemented them together. The Teacher and the Pupil 
had become in a manner one. At what precise period 
this relation was dissolved, we have no means of ascer- 
taining. Neither is it certain at what time, or by whom, 
Irenaeus was ordained ; but as no one was more fit, so 
no one was more likely to perform this service, than 
Polycarp himself. But still, it seems to be a matter of 
no great consequence, whether these points are known 
or not, inasmuch as it is a well authenticated fact, that 
Polycarp not only recognized him as a true and lawful 
Minister of Jesus Christ, but actually employed him as 
such, for many years together. In the capacity of a 
Presbyter, he laboured at Smyrna, with great acceptance 
and success, until he was commissioned to go and assist 
Pothinus, the aged and infirm Bishop of Lyons, who 
had formerly sustained the same relations as himself, to 
the Pride of the Eastern Church. 

From that day forth, his great and glorious character 
is developed every hour. Previously, it was hidden, just 

• The Valentinian and others. 



IRE NiE US. 113 

as a star is hidden in the light of the noon-day sun. 
For, it is only when that sun is obscured or veiled in 
the watches of the night, that it shows its living lustre 
to the eye. Just so, the character of Irenaeus was ob- 
scured. And yet, no sooner had he removed from the 
scene of his former labours, and especially from the over- 
shadowing splendour of a man whose fame was in 
every land, than it was at once discovered to have a 
glory of its own. Then, he stood before the Church 
and the world, in his own untrammelled light. He took 
his stand among the first of human-kind. But still, it 
was only with the meekness of a child. For, instead of 
feeling himself elated by the position that he assumed, 
he seemed to value it only as a means of doing good. 
And hence, although he was surrounded by all the en- 
dearments of life ; although he was attached, as any 
man could be, to Home, and Country, and Friends, he 
never suffered them to become the idols of his heart. 
At the call of God, he was ready to give them up. 
Neither fortune nor fame, on the one hand, nor suffering 
and want on the other, could interpose a wish to have it 
otherwise. Nothing could detain him : nothing could 
prevent him from the sacrifice. Indeed, he felt it to be 
no sacrifice to go and preach the Gospel to the Heathen. 
He regarded it no less as a privilege than a duty. To 
labour anywhere in the service of his God, was a pleas- 
ure. Wherever He might call, there he was wilhng to 
go. And so, with the bold and fearless spirit of a Paul, 
he crossed the ocean, and settled him elf among the 
rude and barbarous people of Gaul, r.nd thus became, as 
he was, one of the first Missionaries of the Cross to the 
Heathen. 



114 SECOND CENTURY. 

Christianity, it is true, had made some progress there 
before his arrival : but for many causes, it was in a very 
feeble and languishing condition. However, nothing 
could be done to remedy the evil, without a knowledge 
of the language, and that was so difficult to acquire, as 
to baffle almost every exertion. Patience and perseve- 
rance at length enabled him to overcome every diffi- 
culty : and then, with the zeal of his master, he went 
about, not only preaching in season and out of season, to 
those who were sitting in the region and shadow of 
death, but contending and writing against the many 
popular heresies of the day. Preaching was his delight : 
controversy was his forte. No adversary was ever 
known to drive him from his post. He neither flinched 
nor quailed : but ever stood his ground, and beat his op- 
ponent back. It was useless to contend against him, 
because no man could hope to succeed against such su- 
perior powers. Accordingly, the Martyrs of Gaul, who 
were then immured in their dungeons, and patiently 
waiting their end, proclaimed him as their champion in 
defence of the Faith : — and such was their confidence in 
his skill as a reasoner, that when Eleutherus, Bishop of 
Rome, became tinctured with certain heresies of the 
day,* they deputed him to go and expostulate with him.f 
From these suflTering saints, he carried a letter to Eleu- 
therus, from which the following passage may be cited 
in proof of their high veneration and regard. " We 
have requested," say they, " our brother and companion 
Irenaeus, to carry this Epistle to you, and we exhort you 
to consider him as commended to you as a zealous follower 

* Gnosticism and Montanism, in particular, f A. D. 177. 



I RE NiE U S 



115 



of the Testamsnt of Christ. For if we know that 
any place could confer righteousness upon any one, we 
would certainly commend him among the first as a 
Presbyter of the Church, the station that he holds."* 

Shortly after his return from this honourable Mission, 
without being able to accomplish the object for which he 
was sent, or to realize the too sanguine anticipations of 
his friends, a dreadful persecution burst forth against the 
Churches of Lyons and Vienna. Multitudes were put 
to death in the most barbarous manner. Among the 
rest, the venerable Pothinus may be reckoned. For al- 
though, it is true, he did not expire under the very means 
that were used ; yet the following statement will show, 
that it was in consequence of the gross indignities and 
sufferings he endured on the day of his trial. " But the 
blessed Pothinus, who had faithfully performsd the min- 
istrations of the Episcopate at Lyons, and who was past 
his ninetieth year, and very infirm in body ; who, indeed, 
scarcely drew his breath, so weak was he in body at the 
time ; yet in the ardour of his soul, and his eager desire 
for martyrdom, he roused his remained strength, and 
was himself also dragged to the tribunal. Though his 
body was already nearly dissolved, partly by age, and 
partly by disease, yet he still retained his life in him, 
that Christ might triumph by it. When carried by the 
soldiers to the Tribunal, whither the Public Magistrates 
accompanied him, as if he wcro Christ himself; and 
when all the mob raised every outcry against him, he gave 
a noble testimony. When interrogated by the Gover- 
nor, who was the God of the Christians, he said, *' If 

* Euseb. Lib. 5, chap. 4. 



116 



SECOND CENTURY 



thou art worthy, thou shalt know." After this, he was 
unmercifully dragged away, and endured many stripes, 
whilst those that were near abused him with their hands 
and feet in every possible way, not even regarding his 
age. But those at a distance, whatsoever they had at 
hand, every one hurled at him, all thinking it would be a 
great sin and impiety if they fell short of wanton abuse 
against him. For they supposed they would thus avenge 
their own gods. Thus, scarcely drawing breath, he was 
thrown into prison, and after two days he there ex- 
pired."* 

As soon as the Church could recover from the shock, 
which these disasters brought upon her feeble frame, 
Irenseus, who, till then, had merely been a Presbyter in 
her service, was selected with the greatest unanimity, 
and ordained forthwith, to occupy the same place which 
Pothinus had hitherto filled, under the name and style of 
" Bishop of the Church of Lyons." This occurred, 
according to the best accounts, A. D. 179. 

It was in the midst of troublous times, when Irenaeus 
was called to assume the oversight of this Church. The 
position was one of imminent hazard, because it singled 
him oiit for almost instant death. And yet he did not 
hesitate to man the breach as a good soldier of Jesus 
Christ, or to expose himself to the hottest assaults of his 
foes. In addition to this, the heresies of Valentinus, of 
Marcion and Basilides, prevailed to such an extent, as 
almost to threaten the existence of the Church. Irenseus, 
however, was well calculated to meet these subverters 
of the faith, and to contend successfully against them. 

* Euseb. lib. 5, chap. 5. 



IK EN^ US. 117 

Again, and again, had he tried his metal with them. 
Nor yet did he shrink ; but, buckling on his armour, he 
came again to the onset, and defended the cause of 
righteousness and truth with pre-eminent success. Then 
it was, A. D. 189, that he put forth his immortal work 
against heresies, which the learned Mosheim has pro- 
nounced to be " one of the most precious monuments of 
ancient erudition."* 

Not long after this important work had been completed, 
the old controversy was revived, A. D. 196, between the 
Bishops of Asia, on the one hand, and Victor, Bishop of 
Rome, on the other, respecting the time of keeping 
Easter ; the former contending, that it should be kept 
the third day after the Jews had celebrated their Pass- 
over, without regard to the day of the week on which it 
might fall ; while the latter insisted that it ought always 
to be kept on the next Lord's Day after that solemn Fes- 
tival had been observed. The Bishops of Asia contended 
to no purpose. All their arguments were looked upon 
with scorn. Indeed, it was soon discovered that it was 
not argument, but submission, that was needed. For 
instead of yielding to the authorities which they pro- 
duced in favour of the day, as it had been observed by 
them and their predecessors in the East from the times 
of the Apostles,f Victor got enraged, and began forth- 
with to excommunicate every one of them from the com- 
munion of his Church, for not conforming to that which 
he and his colleagues had uniformly held to be sacred in 
the West. As soon as they heard of this summary and 
unjust procedure, a Council was called, at which almost 

* Eccles. Hist. vol. 1, p. 146. t Euseb. lib. 5, chap. 24. 



118 SECOND CENTURY. 

all the Bishops of Asia were present, for the purpose of 
conferring together upon the course to be taken in this 
important crisis. They agreed to remonstrate, and did 
remonstrate, in the most decided, though respectful man- 
ner. Their example was quickly followed by other por- 
tions of the Catholic Church. Indeed, so general was the 
interest, that almost every portion felt itself constrained 
to speak. Even those who agreed with Victor in regard 
to the time of keeping Easter, united with those who 
disagreed, in reproving him for disturbing the peace and 
unity of the Church. Among these, we might mention 
Narcissus, Bishop of Jerusalem ; Theophilus, Bishop of 
Csesarea ; Cassius, Bishop of Tyre ; and Irenseus, Bishop 
of Lyons. Although the latter was a native of the East, 
and accustomed from his youth to celebrate a different 
day, that is, the same day which Polycarp and all the 
Asiatic Bishops kept, yet the fact is well authenticated,* 
that while he agreed with Victor in reference to the time 
of keeping Easter, he nevertheless united with the others 
just alluded to, in condemning his arbitrary course. His 
letter on this occasion is said to be " a beautiful speci- 
men of that spirit of peace and concord which should 
mark the conduct of a Christian Bishop ;"! and did 
much, perhaps more than any thing else, to allay the 
bitterness and strife that had arisen. If all had been 
actuated by the same spirit, no doubt the controversy as 
well as the contention would have ceased, and each one 
would have been allowed to adopt that day, which either 
custom or reason might sanction. But Polycrates, the 
aged Bishop of Ephesus, indignant at what had passed, 

* Euseb. lib. 5, chap. 24. t Burton's Eccl. Lee. vol. 2, p. 219. 



IRE N^ US . 119 

and prompted by a desire to vindicate his rights, not only 
had the moral courage to reprove the Bishop of Rome, 
but to tell the arrogant and haughty heir of St. Peter, 
" I am not at all alarmed at those things with which I 
am threatened, to intimidate me ; for they who are 
greater than I have said, " We ought to obey God rather 
than men.' " 

No Pope ever heard a more excoriating truth. It laid 
the axe at the very root of Papal pride. Polycrates knew 
it, and knowing it, determined, at all hazards, to lay its 
honour in the dust. It was not the fashion then for one 
Bishop to be afraid of another, because by chance he 
might be seated in St. Peter's chair. No matter who he 
was, or what he was, every other Bishop felt himself en- 
titled, as he was, to the same consideration. No one 
thought of trembling or cringing before the Bishop of 
Rome. At least, it is evident that the Bishop of Ephe- 
sus did not, when he penned the words above. And 
hence, he addressed him as an equal, and if as an equal, 
then as he deserved, under all the circumstances of the 
case, for his rude attack upon the liberties of the Church, 
It was the first onset of Papal aggression. Nothing like 
it had hitherto occurred. No other Bishop had ever dared 
to arrogate such power. And yet no sooner was it done, 
and the attempt was made to coerce a distant, indepen- 
dent Church, than every heart was touched. It only 
struck one chord, but that one chord resounded every- 
where at the same instant, when Polycrates spoke. As 
a matter of course, all the Mitred ones took fire. 
Bishops were arrayed against Bishops ; Churches against 
Churches; and then, for the first time since the family 
of Christ was formed, the unhappy spectacle was pre- 



120 SECOND CENTURY. 

sented, of " a house divided against itself." So fierce 
and bitter was the contest, that the very he: th ri re- 
proached them for their hate, and cried out, " Fie upon 
thee, fie upon thee.'* 

This state of things, however, was not destined to con- 
tinue long. Indeed, it never would have occurred had 
not the Heathen relaxed their unrelenting rage. Scath- 
ed as they were, by every form of suffering and wo, as 
well as debased by every kind of debauchery and vice, 
under the reign of the infamous Commodus, they seemed 
to forget the existence of their rivals. But as soon as 
Severus was seated on the throne, after the short but 
splendid career of Pertinax had been closed by an assas- 
sin at his gate,* he put a period to their feuds. He gave 
neither the Church, nor the dignitaries of the Church, 
any time to quarrel. He assailed them with all his ire. 
Among these, Irenaeus was the chief. Whether he was 
personally acquainted with him or not, it is not material 
to inquire ; but that he knew him by report, as one of the 
most distinguished champions of the Cross, we can readily 
-conceive, because the savour of his name had long ere this 
become co-equal with the land in which he dwelt. Not 
to know him, was not to know the most conspicuous man 
in Gaul, except, perhaps, the Governor himself, and that 
Severus had hitherto been. In that capacity, he, doubt- 
less, knew all that he desired to know concerning the 
Bishop and his Church. Accordingly, he began his 
reign with the utmost rigour and rage against them 
both. One of his first acts was to surround the capital 
with an army, and then to order all the Christians in the 

* Euseb. lib. 5, chap. 26. 



TREN^US. 121 

place to be butchered without mercy.* The order was 
instantly obeyed ; and so great was the carnage, that the 
streets of Lyons, it is sai 1, were li erally reeking with 
human blood. Nothing like it had ever occurred. The 
cruelty, the ferocity, the barbarity displayed on that occa- 
sion, by the blood-hounds of Rome, were beyond all 
parallel. Neither age, nor sex, nor rank were spared. 
Not merely the poor, and weak, and lowly, but the rich, 
and great, and noble, of the choicest stock in Gaul, were 
indiscriminately consigned to death. Among the rest, as 
we may well suppose, Irenaeus, the bold, the faithful, the 
zealous and glorious Bishop of Lyons, fell a martyr, when 
he was more than one hundred years old, in the year of 
our Lord 202 ! 

The death of this great and venerable man was a 
dreadful blow to the Church. It was so, not merely in 
Lyons and throughout Gaul, where he was known and 
beloved, but everywhere else. It was felt to the remotest 
corners of the earth. It struck a chord that vibrated 
throughout the entire length and breadth of the mystical 
Body of our Lord. And well it might, for the champion 
of the Church had fallen. Fallen, not in fair and hon- 
ourable combat in defence of his own life, nor yet by the 
sure and inevitable shaft of death ; but by fiends in hu- 
man shape, by murderers in open day, clothed with the 
panoply of royal power. And for what ? Was it be- 
cause he was opposed to that power ? Was it because 
he had been found plotting against the liberties of Rome ? 
Was it because he had turned traitor to his country ? 
No : none of these things were laid to his charge : but 

* Baronius. 



122 SECOND CENTURY. 

it was because he was a Christian. Yea, a Christian 
Minister — a Christian Pastor — a Christian Bishop ; not 
only one of the most able and fearless, but one of the 
most zealous and devoted the world had ever seen. For 
no man had hitherto made more admirable defences re- 
specting " the faith once delivered to the Saints ;" and, 
certainly, no one had given such remarkable proofs of 
disinterestedness and zeal in the cause of his Lord. 
Home, and kindred, and friends, were nothing to him, in 
comparison of the pleasure he experienced in going 
forth to preach the Gospel to the Heathen. The spirit 
that actuated him was the true Missionary spirit ; and 
although, periiaps, he was not the first to set his foot 
upon what might be called Missionary ground, yet he 
was among the first in every essential qualification. 
Zealous, active, faithful, persevering, bold, intrepid, learn- 
ed, he was fully competent to discharge the arduous 
duties that devolved upon him, as an Ambassador of 
Jesus Christ, and especially to ferret out and expose the 
many Heresies, which were then uniting their forces 
against the Faith, the Order, the Worship, the Being of 
the Church. This he did with such distinguished ability 
and success, that he is called by Tertulhan, " Omnium 
doctrinarum curiosissimus exploratur," i. e. the most 
curious searcher into all kinds of doctrines.* 

Now, if the testimony of such a man could be obtained 
as to the Threefold Ministry of the Church, we should 
think it ought to settle the matter with every reflecting 
mind. As no one was more competent, so no one surely 
can be relied upon with more fidelity in portraying the 

* Adv. Valent. 



IRE NiE U S 



123 



true Order or Regimen of the Church. But the question 
is, has he done this ? Has he ever told us, in any of his 
numerous works, what that Order or Regimen was ? We 
answer plainly. Yes. And, moreover, that you will find 
it fully detailed in that immortal work of his, which pro- 
duced such a sensation in ancient times, and which was 
then, as it is now, entitled 

ADVERSUS HJIRESES. 

From this " precious monument of ancient erudition," 
we have made the following extracts. They are selected 
principally from the Third Book, Chapter Third, which 
treats professedly, according to its heading, " of the Tradi- 
tion of the Apostles;" or, "of the Succession of the 
Bishops in the Church, from the times of the Apostles." 
The passages to which we allude are these : — 

1. " We can enumerate,''^ says he, " those who were 
appointed hy the Apostles Bishops in the Churches, and 
their Successors, even to us, who have taught no such 
thing ; neither have they known what is idly talked of 
by these (Heretics.) For if the Apostles had known hid- 
den mysteries which they taught apart and secretly to 
the perfect, they would have delivered them to those espe- 
cially to whom they committed even the Churches them- 
selves. For they wished those to be very perfect and 
irreprehensible in all things, whom they left their Succes- 
sors, delivering to them their own place of Government, 
who, acting correctly, great benefit would arise ; but the 
greatest calamity, should they fall away. But seeing 
that it is very long, in such a volume as this, to enume- 
rate the Successions of all the Churches, by pointing out 



124 SECOND CENTURY. 

the Tradition, (or Succession,) of the greatest, the most 
ancient, and universally known Church, founded and 
constituted at Rome, by the two most glorious Apostles, 
Peter and Paul, which (Tradition) it has from the Apos- 
tles, and the Faith announced to mankind, coming even 
to us by the Succession of Bishops, we confound all 
those who, in whatever manner, either through their evil 
inclination, or through vain glory, or through blindness 
and wicked designs, conclude more than is fit. For 
with this Church, on account of its greater pre-eminence, 
it is necessary that every Church should agree ; that is, 
those which are in all respects faithful ; in which is 
always preserved, by those which are round about, that 
Tradition which is from the Apostles. The blessed Apos- 
tles, therefore, founding and instructing the Church, de- 
livered to Linus the Bishopric, to Govern the Church. 
Paul makes mention of this Linus*in the Epistles which 
are to Timothy. To him succeeded Anacletus : after 
him, in the third place from the Apostles, Clement ob- 
tained the Bishopric ; who both saw the Apostles them- 
selves and conferred with them, when as yet he had the 
preaching of the Apostles sounding in his ears, and their 
Tradition before his eyes. Not indeed alone ; many as 
yet remained, at that time, taught by the Apostles." 

2. " To this Clement, however, succeeded Evaristus ; 
and to Evaristus, Alexander; and then Sixtu^ was 
appointed, the sixth from the Apostles ; and after him, 
Telesphorus, who Hkewise suffered Martyrdom, most glo- 
riously ; and then Hyginus, then Pius, after whom 
Aniceius, And when also Soter had succeeded Anice- 
tus, now Eleutherus has the Bishopric in the twelfth 
place from the Apostles. By this Ordination and Sue- 



I KE N JS U S. 126 

cession, that Tradition in the Church, which is from the 
Apostles, and the Doctrine of the Truth, hath come even 
unto us. And this is a njost full showing that there is one 
and the same lively Faith, which has been preserved in the 
Church from the Apostles until now, and handed down 
in truth.*' 

3. " And Poly carp also, who was not only taught by 
the Apostles, and conversed with many of those who had 
seen our Lord, but was likewise appointed by the Apos- 
tles Bishop in that Church which is at Smyrna in Asia, 
whom we also have seen in our younger days ; for he 
continued a long time, and departed this life when very 
old, most gloriously and most nobly suffering Martyrdom. 
He always taught those things which he had learned from 
the Apostles, which he likewise delivered to the Church, 
and which alone are true. And all the Churches which 
are in Asia bear testimony to these things, and those who 
succeeded Polycarp until this time ; which man is a wit- 
ness of much greater authority, and a more faithful wit- 
ness of the Truth than Valentine and Marcion, and the 
rest who are of a perverse opinion." 

4. " And the Church which is at Ephesus, founded 
indeed by Paul, but John remaining with them even to 
the time of Trajan, is likewise a true witness of the doc- 
trine of the Apostles." 

6. " True knowledge is the doctrine of the Apostles, 
according to the Succession of the Bishops, to whom they 
delivered the Church in every place, which doctrine hath 
reached us, preserved in its most full delivery." — Lib. 4, 
chap. 53. 

6. Those Presbyters in the Church are to he obeyed, 
//•ho haii the succession^ as we have shown from the Apos- 



126 SECOND CENTURY. 

ties : who, with the succession of their Episcopacy, have 
the sure gift of truth, according to the good pleasure of 
the Father, But as to the rest, who depart from the suc- 
cession, and are assembled in any place whatsoever, we 
ought to suspect them, and look upon them as Heretics, 
and persons of bad opinions : or as Schismatics, and con- 
ceited persons, pleasing themselves : or, again, as Hypo - 
crites, doing this for the sake of gain or vain glory ; and 
all these have fallen from the truth." — Lib. 4. chap. 43. 
7. " This is the Message, and this is the Faith, which 
the Church has received ; and which, though dispersed 
throughout the whole world, she sedulously guards as 
though she dwelt but in one place : believes as uniformly 
as though she had but one soul, and the same heart ; and 
preaches, teaches, hands down to posterity, as harmoni- 
ously as though she had but one mouth. True it is, the 
world's languages are various ; but the power of the Tra- 
dition is one and the same. There is no difference of 
Faith or Tradition, whether in the Churches of Germany, 
or in Spain, or in Gaul, or in the East, or in Egypt, or 
in Africa, or in the most central part of the world ; so 
also the preaching of the Truth shineth everywhere, and 
lighteth every one who will come to the knowledge of the 
truth. Among the rulers of the Church, neither he who 
is powerful in word, speaks other doctrine, (for no one 
can be above his master,) nor does the weak in the word 
diminish the Tradition. For, whereas, the Faith is one 
and the same, neither he who has much to say concern- 
ing it, hath anything over, nor he that speaketh little any 
lack."* 

* Translation from the Tracts for the Times, p. 544 — 5. 



IRE N JE us. 



REMARKS. 



127 



1. From these plain and unequivocal testimonies, se- 
lected almost at random from the midst of many others 
of similar import, we have no hesitation in affirming, 
that the Government of the Church, in the time of Ire- 
nseus, was not Presbyterial, but Episcopal. For, surely, 
language cannot be used to convey more strongly than 
this does, that Bishops were the Chief Rulers, or Gover- 
nors of all the Churches, without a single exception. 
And that, too, not merely as co-Pastors, or co-Presbyters, 
enjoying equal powers and rights, as the Presbyterians 
contend ; but as Bishops, or Pastors of a higher grade 
whom the Apostles selected from among the Presbyters 
as Irenaeus was,* and to whom they not only gave prece- 
dence, but delegated powers, which mere Presbyters did 
not possess. Thus, at the beginning of the sixth extract, 
he writes : " Those Presbyters in the Church are to be 
obeyed, who have the succession, as we have shown from 
the Apostles : who with the succession of their Episco- 
pacy, have the sure gift of truth, according to the good 
pleasure of the Father." Here, then, is a most impor- 
tant truth disclosed. It is this, that there were certain 
Presbyters in the Church, who had pre-eminence over 
other Presbyters, not in virtue of any moral or intellec- 
tual worth ; but simply because they had been selected 
and honoured by the Will of God with " the succession." 
That succession is denominated *' the succession of their 
Episcopacy." And this, rendered into plain English, 
means, that they were Bishops ; and as such, entitled to 

* Euseb. lib. 5, chap. 4 et 5. Compare also Hb. 7, chap. 7. 



128 SECOND CENTURY. 

privileges and power which mere Presbyters did not pos- 
sess. For, it is perfectly level to the apprehension of 
every reader, that the " succession" which was conferred 
upon such, was not a something which any Presbyter 
enjoyed by reason of his Ordination ; but it was a some- 
thing which only a certain number received, and that 
number, only those who were elevated to a higher degree 
in the Ministry, or in other words, to the Episcopate. 
The real difference, therefore, between a Bishop and a 
Presbyter, in those days, consisted in this, that while the 
former was honoured by a special appointment of Heaven 
with " the succession," which invested him with the 
power, not only of transmitting the same ; but of govern- 
ing the Church, the latter had no such powerj and, of 
course, no such succession. If thi be so, we see no 
way of escaping the conclusion, that " the succession of 
the Episcopacy" was not only a doctrine, but an Order 
of the Ministry, as old as the Apostles themselves. 

2. And yet, clear and positive as the testimony is, in 
reference to this matter, it is frequently denied that the 
Apostles had any successors. Although, Irenseus states 
in so many words, that " True Knowledge is the doc- 
trine of the Apostles, according to the succession of the 
Bishops, to whom they delivered the Church in every 
place ;" still, it is not only denied, but reproached with 
all the sarcasm and abuse that wicked tongues can 
wield. But why is this 1 Is there anything in it so 
extremely ruinous and false, as to draw forth such vials 
full of wrath, as we sometimes chance to see ? If so, 
then has Irenaeus sinned, and with him, such a host of 
Martyred ones and holy men of old, as we shall never 
meet again. But still, whatever the revilers of this doc- 



ENiE U S 



129 



trine may say, we are loth to think that so many of the 
truly great and pious have erred so grossly, and especially 
that He who is greater and holier than them all, should 
say, as he once did to his Apostles, " Go ye out into all 
the world and preach the Gospel to every creature : He 
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that 
believeth not, shall be damned. And lo ! I am with you 
alway^ even unto the end of the world." Now, what is 
this but succession? Can any thing be more plainly and 
explicitly taught ? Has Irenaeus with all his zeal and 
force, spoken aught more free and full 1 No : if there 
ever was a truth revealed in Holy Writ, we believe it is 
this same doctrine of succession, and however lightly it 
may be viewed, we contend it is one which our Saviour, 
not only promised should exist in his Church to the end of 
time ; but has existed and does exist, and will so con- 
tinue to exist, in fact and in form, as long as time shall 
last. Although we may not be able, it is true, to trace 
this succession up to the times of the Apostles, in any 
given instance, through all its tortuous course, any more 
than we can trace the succession of any given tree, or 
plant, or shrub, up to its original ; yet we have no more 
reason to doubt, that that succession exists, according to 
our Saviour's words, than that day and night, summer 
and winter, seed time and harvest have had their un- 
broken rounds ever since the world began, according to 
the promise made by God some thousand years ago. 
There is no more difficulty in believing the one, than 
there is in believing the other. Both stand upon the 
same Eternal Rock : Both come from the same unchang- 
ing one. It is His will. His purpose, His decree, re- 
vealed not only in the volume of His word ; but im- 



130 SECOND CENTURY, 

pressed on all the wonders of His hand. In the ex- 
pressive language of the Psalmist, we may say, " their 
line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to 
the end of the world."* Silent though they be, they bear 
their ceaseless testimony to the " dogma" of succession. 
In fact, they prove it by their own existence, that suc- 
cession is a law of nature's own adoption. Without it, 
silence, solitude, and death would I'eign triumphant and 
complete, through all the realms of day. Succession, 
therefore, is not a chimera, a wild and silly freak of 
man's device, as some suppose ; but a reality, clear, 
boundless and sublime, which no created power can cover 
or destroy. 

The reason, however, why it is not admitted in refer- 
ence to the chief ministry of the Church, is because the 
word succession is not fully understood. It needs ex- 
planation. It requires some one to define what is meant, 
when it is asserted that Bishops are the successors of the 
Apostles, as Irenseus asserts. And this, we think, may 
easily be done, by declaring explicitly in the outset, that 
they are not successors to all the miraculous gifts and 
powers which were conferred upon the Apostles, by the 
Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven ; but merely that 
they were successors to them in the ministry of Jesus 
Christ : successors in the dispensation of the Gospel : suc- 
cessors in the administration of the sacraments : succes- 
sors in the ordination or propagation of the sacred orders 
of the ministry : in a word, successors in the General 
Government and Discipline of the Church, Such suc- 
cessors, it is manifest, the Apostles had in the Bishops 

» Ps. 19, 4. 



IRENiEUS. - 131 

whom they ordained from among the Presbyters, and 
stationed as principals over the various Churches that 
were planted by their hands. So, at all events, Irenaeus 
affirms, and so we believe. 

3. And in order to show us, that this is not a delusion, 
but a reality, he undertakes to enumerate, and does enu- 
merate by Name, all the Bishops of the Church of Rome, 
as an example, from the time of the Apostles, Peter and 
Paul, down to his own, naming Linus as the first in the 
succession, and Eleutherus as the last. And after stat- 
ing that a similar Episcopal succession was preserved in 
the Church of Smyrna, where Poly carp was constituted 
Bishop by the Apostles, and also at Ephesus, where St. 
John resided for many years, during the Episcopacy of 
Onesimus,* he goes on to say, that the same thing was 
preserved in every other Church, " whether it was located 
in Germany, or in Spain, or in Gaul, or in Egypt, or in 
Africa, or in the most central parts of the world." Al- 
though, it is true, he does not give these successions in 
detail, yet it is evident that it was not for the want of 
information, but because, as he states, he did not wish to 
crowd his book with matter which was not essential to 
his purpose. Now, we ask, is it reasonable to suppose 
that Irenaeus would have made such a statement, unless 
it were susceptible of proof? Nay, more, would he have 
ventured to make it, especially in a dispute with the 
Heretics, when'he knew it would be instantly assailed 
and disproved by innumerable facts 1 It cannot be. The 
character of the man is a perfect guarantee that his 
statement was altogether in unison with the circum- 

* Euseb. lib. 3, chap. 36. 



132 



SECOND CENTURY 



stances of the case. Indeed, were it not so, there would 
be no force whatever in his argument, because that was 
particularly devised to show, that the successions which 
the various Heretics of the day pretended to have, were 
altogether unlike those which the Church had, inasmuch 
as the one could be traced to the Apostles of our Lord, 
while the other could not. For, whatever may be the 
hostility and disgust entertained now by those who have 
created a new Church and ministry for themselves, it is 
a fact worthy of notice, that the Episcopal succession 
was considered a matter of so much consequence by all 
the Heretics of old, that they not only sought to obtain 
it by every sort of trickery and fraud ; but even went so 
far as io forge it, for the purpose of seeming, at least, to 
be conformed to the regimen of the Church.* But 
Irenaeus, instead of acknowledging that which they pro- 
fessed to have, and did have, to be genuine and true, de- 
nounced it over and over again in his work, to be spurious 
and false, for the very reason assigned before, that it 
could not be traced up to some of the Apostles, or their 
immediate successors : thus, leading us to infer, beyond 
all contradiction, that there was such a thing as succes- 
sion, not only legitimate and true ; but that that succes- 
sion was possessed by the Bishops of the Church, and 
by them alone, in a direct line from the Apostles. If 
this be so, it is just as clear as the noon-day sun, that 
the polity of the Church was not merely Episcopal and 
Episcopally transferred ; but that it was, beyond all per- 
adventure, esteemed by Irenaeus, to be both Apostolic 
and divine. 

* Palmer on the Church, vol. 2, p. 365. 



IRENiEUS. 133 

4. And now, we ask, in conclusion, is riot Irenseus to 
be believed ? Can any one suspect him of treachery or 
deceit, in reference to this subject 1 Does any one sup- 
pose that such a holy and venerable man as he was, could 
be guilty of writing that which was utterly untrue, in 
the very face of his enemies and the enemies of the 
Church? If Episcopacy had been an innovation, as the 
Presbyterians and others assert, is it probable that 
Irenaeus would have laboured to sustain it by arguments 
such as these ? or, if he had been ignorant of its origin, 
could he have written and spoken as he did, without ex- 
posing his character to utter ruin and reproach ? It is 
impossible to answer yes : because every one must feel 
ere this, that Irenseus was not a man to be mistaken or 
deceived, in regard to this matter, and certainly not a 
man to connive at an innovation, were it so, which would 
make such inroads upon the established order and go- 
vernment of the Church, as well as upon its unity and 
peace, although his action might chance to prove in- 
jurious to himself. Of all other men, he would have 
been the one, in our estimation, that would have come 
out and denounced Episcopacy or the Episcopal suc- 
cession, as one of the grossest impositions upon the minis- 
try and faith of the Church. No fear, no favour, no 
frown, no honour or reward, could have kept him in 
check. He would have spoken, though all men were 
silent. The workings of his inmost soul, could not have 
been suppressed, when the interests of the ministry, of the 
Church, of the world were at stake. And yet where, or 
upon what occasion, did Irenaeus say aught in favour of 
a recent, underived ministry, and against the old and 
well-authenticated Une 1 When and where has he ever 
6~ _— 



134 SECOND CENTURY. 

told us, that Presbytery, and not Prelacy, was the au- 
thorized Pohty of the Church ? In what book, or chapter, 
or verse, has he thrown out a hint in favour of the for- 
mer, to the prejudice of the latter ? Let the advocates 
of parity show it. Let the revilers of imparity produce 
it, if they can. It never has been done, and never can 
be done, so long as the passages just recited remain un- 
shaken and entire. For, whatever way you read them, 
they convey but the one simple truth in respect to the 
succession, and say that that succession was vested in the 
Bishops, the chiefs of the ministry and governors of the 
Church. Now, what is this but Episcopacy? and if 
Episcopacy, then it is a ministry like the fabled Cerberus 
of old, having a Trinity of persons blended into one, 
which ever stand, as a faithful sentinel, at the portals of 
the Church, to receive the thronging Hosts, and to see 
that none shall enter, but such as they shall deem pre- 
pared, to tread its inner courts, and walk its golden 
streets, through never-ending day. 

We see no way, therefore, of escaping the conclusions 
to which we are driven by the writings of Irenaeus, ex- 
cept we admit, that Bishops were the real bona-fide 
successors of the Apostles : that to them and to them 
alone, was committed the Government of the Church : 
that as Bishops or successors of the Apostles, they ex- 
ercised that Government by divine authority ; to the ex- 
clusion of all others ; in a word, that Episcopacy, or a 
triple ordered ministry, with a Bishop at its head, was the 
only legitimate and authorized, as well as the only estab- 
lished and known form, in which the affairs of the 
Church had yet been administered, from one end of 
Christendom to the other. 



IR EN iE us . 135 

With these impressions fresh upon our minds, let us 
proceed a little farther, and take up the writings of Cle- 
mens Alexandrinus, the famous Presbyter of Alexandria, 
in Egypt. 



<y/\°^ ^°0^ ''c^^SiS' 

"^P '^P ^P 

.^^^ 



^' 



CLEMENT OP ALEXANDRIA. 



•' Methoiight I saw a face divinely fair, 

With nought of earthly passion ; the mild beam 
Of whose bright eye did in mute converse seem 

With other countenances, and they were, 

Gazing on her, made beautiful. Their theme 

Was one that had gone up the heavenly stair, 

And left a fragrance on the lower air. 

The contemplation of His Love supreme. 

And that high form held forth to me a hand : 

It was celestial Wisdom, whose calm brow 
Did of those earthly sciences inquire, 

If they had of His glory aught retained : 
Yes ! I would be admitted to your choir, 

That I may nothing love on earth below." 

The Cathedral. 




V. 



CLEMENT OE ALEXANDB A. 

Titus Flavius Clemens, or Clement of Alexandria, 
as he is more generally called, in order to distinguish him 
from another Clement, the glorious Bishop of Rome, 
whose hfe has been already given, was not so named, it 
would seem, because he was a native of Alexandria, but 
because he had spent the greater part of his days there, 
and had thus become so identified with the place, by his 
residence and literary worth, as to merit that particular 
appellation. 

It was no uncommon thing, however, for vast cities, 
in ancient times, when any doubt existed as to the nati- 
vity of any individual of renown, to vie with each other, 
in laying claim to the honour of his birth, so that the y 
might share the glory of his name. Thus, it is said, 
that 

" Seven Grecian cities claim'd-a Homer, dead, 
Where, once, the living Homer begg'd his bread." 

What wondrous benevolence and regard ! After he had 
trodden their dark and dreary streets alone, without a 
comfort, or a friend to cheer his hapless lot,* and had, 



* Homer was blind. 



140 SECOND CENTURY. 

notwithstanding this, risen to the highest pinnacle of 
fame, by his own unaided powers, then, forsooth, they 
were moved, as if by magic, to come forth and render 
homage to a man whom they had suffered to die unpitied 
and unblest ! Nay, more, after he was gone and beyond 
the reach of want, they were incited by some strange 
impulse to honour him as a god, to consecrate temples 
to his praise, to bring the costliest offerings to his shrine, 
to drain the wealth of kingdoms, in order to raise his 
paean to the skies ! But why was all this 1 To what 
purpose was this waste? The paean had been raised, — 
not, indeed, with pomp, and wealth, and splendour, such 
as this ; but with the priceless treasure of his own crea- 
tion. His own genius had done the work, long before 
Smyrna, or Chios, or Colophon, or Salamis, or Rhodes, 
or Athens, had thought of it. All that could be done, 
had been done by himself, to render his name immortal. 
But still there have been multitudes ready enough to do 
it for him, and not only for him, but for others also, and 
we doubt not, for Clement of Alexandria, by the very 
city which once gloried in the name of " Queen,"* whose 
only motive was the vain and delusive hope of going down 
to posterity with him. Be this as it may, however, Cle- 
ment, like Homer, had done his own work. He was the 
artificer of his own greatness. And hence, it makes but 
little difference, whether he were an Egyptian or a 
Syrian : the honour belongs to himself, that he perfected 
at Alexandria what was begun, in all probability, at 
Athens, where he was born, about A. D. 160. 

Nothing is known concerning the parents of Clement ; 

* Dumas' Travels in Egypt and Arabia Petraea, p. 24. 



CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. 141 

but they are supposed by some to have been persons of 
considerable consequence and means, from the fact, that 
he enjoyed the advantage of such eminent instructors as 
he describes in the following passage of his Stromata : 
" Of these," he says, " the one was lonicus in Greece, 
but the other in Magna Grsecia ; the one of them being 
a Syrian, the other a native of Egypt. Others, how- 
ever, there were living in the East, and of these, one 
was from Assyria, another of Palestine, a Hebrew by de- 
scent. The last that I met with, was the first in excel- 
lence. Him I found concealed in Egypt ; and meeting 
him there, I ceased to extend my search beyond him, as 
one who had no superior in abilities."* 

This person was the celebrated Pantsenus, an Egyp- 
tian Philosopher, who, at that time, presided over the cate- 
chetical school of Alexandria. As soon as Clement ar- 
rived in Egypt, he put himself under his instruction ; 
but instead of confining himself to the simple routine of 
study, which properly belonged to the school, he apphed 
himself to the study of every science and virtue, which 
could either dignify his mind or adorn its powers. He 
did not confine himself, as the manner of too many was, 
to the writings of any one sect, or attach himself to any 
one school of philosophy ; but his plan was, to examine 
carefully everything that fell in his way, and then, to 
select that, which seemed best calculated, to promote his 
intellectual and spiritual growth. For this reason, he 
was denominated by many an ** Eclectic," which simply 
denotes one that selects ; although he belonged really to 
no one sect. Accordingly, he says, " I espoused not this 



* Euseb. lib. 5, chap. 11. 



142 SECOND CENTURY. 

or that philosophy ; not the Stoic nor the Platonic ; not 
the Epicurean, or that of Aristotle, but whatever any of 
those sects had said that was fit and just, that taught 
righteousness, with a divine and religious knowledge ; all 
that being selected, I call philosophy." In this way, as 
the learned Dr. Cave says, " he picked up a system of 
noble principles, like so many flowers out of several gar- 
dens, professing this to be the great end of all his disqui- 
sitions, so that he might have a life perfected to all the 
rules of virtue." 

Pursuing this course, so laboriously as he did, he be- 
came the most eminent man of his day for profound and 
varied acquirements. Nothing escaped him. " He 
searched," says St. Cyril, " to the very bottom of all the 
learning of the Greeks, with that exactness that, per- 
haps, few before him ever attained to."* His learning 
was prodigious. His fame was unbounded. Both the 
learned and the unlearned were surprised. Alexandria 
was suddenly thronged with persons of every description, 
who had come hither, either for the purpose of convers- 
ing with him, or of placing themselves under his instruc- 
tion, and the more so, when it was noised abroad that he 
was appointed an assistant to the celebrated Pantsenus. 

In this capacity he acquitted himself so well, that 
when Pantsenus was sent by Demetrius the Bishop to 
India, in reference to some important missionary duty, 
he was at once invested with the full oversight of the 
school. And although it had hitherto stood high in the 
estimation of the world, it was soon discovered that it 
had acquired, and not lost, some new and important 

* Contr. Julian. 



I 
I 



CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. 143 

glory, by his accession. The school flourished beyond 
all former precedent. Some of the first youth of the age, 
were sent to perfect themselves with him, in every branch 
of learning. His pupils excelled all others. They rose 
to the highest eminence among men. Whatever station 
they filled, they were sure to be chief. Among these, 
we might mention the blessed and glorious Martyr, Alex- 
ander, the thirty-fifth Bishop of Jerusalem, and Origen, 
the most learned man, by far, who has ever appeared in 
our world. 

While Clement was thus sustaining the credit of his 
school, and receiving the most honourable testimonials of 
regard, he was ordained, by Demetrius, his Bishop, Pres- 
byter in the Church of Alexandria, about A. D. 195. 
His talents and learning, and piety, eminently qualified 
him for such a post. Although, perhaps, his scholastic 
habits, might throw some obstacles in the way of his suc- 
cess ; yet it is no less singular than true, that he became 
at once, not only one of the most distinguished preach- 
ers, but one of the ablest and most accomplished writers, 
in defence of the Gospel and the Church, in opposition to 
the rampant heresies and schisms of the day, that had 
hitherto arisen. He was in Egypt, what Irenseus was at 
that very time in Gaul, the champion of the Church. 

A stop, however, was put to his labours, by a most un- 
righteous persecution. The Emperor Severus, being the 
prime mover in the affair, it was made to rage with the 
utmost fury, not only in every part of his empire, but 
especially in the city of Alexandria, where so much 
abiUty and zeal had been displayed in behalf of the Faith. 
The work of death was truly appalling. Clement be- 
came alarmed for his safety ; and as he professed to have 



144 SECOND CENTURY. 

no scruples about fleeing, in case of need, he thought it 
better to retire for a season, than to remain in the midst 
of so much danger and distress, with the certain prospect 
of losing his life. No sooner was the thought entertain- 
ed, than preparations were made for carrying it into im- 
mediate effect. It seemed to accord with all the sympa- 
thies of his heart. For a long time he had been desirous 
to revisit the scenes of his youth. As yet, no opportu- 
nity had been afforded him. All at once the way was 
opened, and before he could realize that it was anything 
more than a vision, he was threading the wild and track- 
less wastes of the desert. 

Jerusalem was the first object that loomed upon his 
heart. There his feelings centred. Thither he went. 
Not, however, because he was impelled by any particular 
desire to tread its hallowed ground, or to see its ruined 
courts, but simply because he longed to behold once more, 
the face of one, who was near and dear to his heart. 
This was Alexander, the Bishop of Jerusalem, whose 
name has just been mentioned in connection with that of 
Origen, as one of the pupils who, by his ability and worth, 
had been raised to the highest dignity on earth. With 
him he hoped to find an asylum from the troubles and 
trials of the world. But what must have been his aston- 
ishment and grief, when he was finally permitted to en- 
ter the consecrated place, to hear that Alexander had 
just been seized and cast into prison, in company with 
others, for refusing to honour the gods of the heathen. 

The sudden blight which this intelligence cast upon 
all his cherished hopes, almost crushed his weary soul. 
He scarcely knew what to do. But instead of sinking 
under the pressure of his wo, or seeking to secure an im- 



CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. 145 

mediate retreat, he went boldly forward, and sought out 
the object of his love. After a good deal of difficulty, he 
succeeded in obtaining permission to visit the Bishop in 
his cell. They met, as all such friends meet, with won- 
der and surprise, mingled with gratitude and joy. They 
could hardly realize the fact. The one could scarcely 
credit his own eyes, that he was looking upon the face 
of his beloved teacher, while the teacher could scarcely 
define the form and features of his once gay and youth- 
ful charge. Time had made sad changes. Trouble, 
and care, and wo, had left deep traces of their power. 
Each could see it in the other, while each was ignorant 
to what extent. And yet, neither could speak of it, be- 
cause each one's own sense of delicacy was too great, to 
make the remotest allusion to it. Indeed their thoughts 
were too much occupied with other matters, of vastly more 
importance, to dwell on this, even had they felt disposed ; 
for the sufferings of the saints in every place, were 
enough to shut out every other. Nay, their own suffer- 
ings were sufficient, to take up every moment of the time 
allotted them. In this, however, all that could be said, 
was said by Clement to fortify the mind of Alexander. 
Not that he was wavering or undecided, as to the course 
he should pursue, but because he needed, just like other 
men, to have the consolations of the Gospel fully suited 
to his case. This, we are assured, was done with equal 
simplicity and power, insomuch, that he was constrained 
to say with Paul, " I am now ready to be offered."* And 
then, after commending him to God, and imploring his 
aid, not only in his behalf, but in behalf of all his suffer- 

* 2 Tim. iv. 6. 



146 SECOND CENTURY. 

ing ones, Clement bade him adieu, with the hope that he 
should see his face once more. 

In this, he was not disappointed. Again and again, 
he enjoyed that privilege. And that, too, not only with 
him, but with all the rest who had dared to vindicate their 
rights, and refuse to give their worship to the gods. These 
visits were eminently opportune and useful, in enlight- 
ening and confirming the souls of many who were ready 
to faint, under the weight of their afflictions. But these 
were not the only evidences of his faithfulness and zeal, 
for, wherever he went, (and he was constantly employ- 
ed,) he was "instant in season, and out of season," in 
dispensing the word of life, with all gentleness and love, 
no man forbidding him. And hence, when it became 
necessary for him to prosecute his journey, as he design- 
ed, Alexander, unsolicited, wrote a letter to the Church 
at Antioch, in which he speaks of his self-denying la- 
bours in the highest terms, and commends him to their 
attention and regard, thus : " This epistle, my brethren, 
I have sent to you by Clement, the blessed Presbyter, 
a man endued with all virtue, and well approved, whom 
you already know ; who, also, coming hither, by the pro- 
vidence and superintendence of the Lord, has confirmed 
and increased the Church of God."* 

After remaining at Antioch a short time, and preaching 
there with the same zeal and success, for which he was 
so justly commended at Jerusalem, he returned again to 
Alexandria, without going any farther east, and there, 
according to Eusebius, " he fulfilled the duties of an in- 
structor with the greatest diligence, in which he was also 

* Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 11. 



CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. 147 

encouraged by Demetrius, who was then the Bishop, and 
who earnestly counselled him to labour cheerfully for the 
benefit of his brethren."* 

Whether Clement continued to officiate in this way to 
the end of his days, without intermission, or was super- 
seded by Pantsenus, after his return from India, as Euse- 
bius seems to affirm,f we cannot say ; but it is more than 
probable that he remained at the head of the school till 
the close of his life. At what time, or in what manner, 
that event took place, there is no record extant ; but, 
judging from the character of the man, and the position 
in which he was, we regard it as almost certain, that he 
fell a Martyr, like many of his brethren, in that fearful 
persecution which raged so furiously about A. D. 202. 

In this opinion we are confirmed, by the fact that Ori- 
gen, who was then his pupil and a youth of only eighteen 
years of age, was preferred before all others, by Deme- 
trius, to take charge of the very school over which Cle- 
ment had presided for years, and which, it would seem, 
had just become vacant by the death of that learned and 
excellent man.f 

Few men have ever enjoyed a more exalted reputa- 
tion for wisdom and virtue, than Clement of Alexandria. 
For, in addition to his great talents and acquirements, 
which every one acknowledged, while living, and which, 
for centuries afterwards, were thought so remarkable, as 
to draw forth from the cautious Jerome the praise of 
being " the most learned of all the ancients,''§ he was, 
at the same time, not only one of the gentlest and meek- 
est, but one of the holiest and purest of men. 

* Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 14. + Lib. 5, chap. 10. 

t Cave's Lives, p. 323. ^ Epis. ad. Mag. 



148 SECOND CENTURY. 

^ Now, every one can see that the testimony of such a 
man, in reference to any subject, and especially in refe- 
rence to the Threefold Ministry of the Church, must be 
invaluable. Nay, more, we cannot help but think, that 
it will be considered worthy of the highest confidence 
and regard. But the question is, how shall we obtain 
it ? Where shall we find it ? Are there any of his writ- 
ings extant, in which such a testimony has been given ? 
In reply, we are happy to state that there are. From 
these we shall make some extracts, in order to show the 
reader, that St. Clement entertained the same views in 
regard to the Ministry of the Church, or, in other words, 
was accustomed to the same Orders of the Ministry in 
Egypt, as we have found in Italy, in Asia, and in Gaul. 
There was no difference. For example, the following 
passages occur in a book, which is filled with a great va- 
riety of pieces, relating to almost every subject, and 
which, from this circumstance alone, is denominated 

STROMATA.* 

1. " He is a Presbyter in the Church indeed, and a true 
Deacon of the will of God, if he does and teaches the 
things of the Lord ; not ordained of men, or therefore 
thought a righteous person, because made a Presbyter, 

* The Greek word Stromateus, which Clement prefixed as the 
title to each of his books, means a covering, or hangings for a table or 
couch, mostly of various colours. It also signified, in later times, the 
bag in which the beds and covers were tied up. The former, how- 
ever, gave rise to the use of it as a title for books of various contents. 
Hence they were called Miscellanies, or, as St. Clement himself de- 
fines the word Strornata, " a variegated covering spread out." — 
Euseb.lib. 6, chap. 13. 



CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. 149 

but because righteous, therefore chosen into that Presby- 
tery ; and though he be not honoured with the^r*^ seat 
here on earth, yet shall hereafter sit down on the twenty- 
four thrones, judging the people, as St. John says in the 
Revelations." 

2. "Now in the Church here, the progressions of 
Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons, I deem to be imitations 
of the angelical glory, and of that dispensation which the 
Scriptures tell us they look for, who, following the steps 
of the Apostles, have lived according to the Gospel in the 
perfection of righteousness. These men, the Apostle 
writes, being taken up into the clouds, shall first minis- 
ter as Deacons, then be admitted to a rank in the Pres- 
bytery, according to the progression in glory ; for glory 
differeth from glory, until they grow up to a perfect 
man."* 

In addition to these, the following passage occurs in a 
work of his, entitled 

THE PEDAGOGUE. 

" There are other precepts, (in Scripture,) without 
number, which concern men in particular capacities; 
some of which relate to Presbyters, others to Bishops, 
and others to Deacons, and others which concern wid- 
ows."! 

REMARKS. 

1 . Whatever may be thought of the first of these ex- 
tracts, in which it is asserted that a mere Presbyter is not 
honoured with the first seat, which means, in all ecclesi- 
astical language, " the Episcopal throne or chair," we are 

* Lib. 6. t Lib. 3, chap. 12. 



150 SECOND CENTURY. 

certainly given to understand, that the Ministry of the 
Church in St. Clement's time, consisted of three distinct 
Orders. Indeed, were we to discard the first paragraph 
altogether, as equivocal, and, of course, of no account, 
the others which remain, establish the point beyond a 
doubt ; for the Three Orders are not merely once, but twice 
distinctly enumerated, and in such a way, too, as to in- 
duce the belief, that these were the very and only Orders, 
which the Church knew anything about. We cannot 
see how language can be plainer or more explicit than 
the following, which Clement uses when speaking in re- 
ference to these Orders : *' The progression of Bishops, 
Presbyters and Deacons, in the Church, I deem to be 
imitations of the angelical glory." If we understand him, 
he merely gives it as his opinion , that this progression is 
not confined to the Ministry of the Church militant, but 
that it attaches itself also to the Ministry of the Church 
triumphant, and is thus the type of things not seen as 
yet, eternal in the Heavens. Now, although we confess 
that this idea is rather more fanciful than we could wish, 
yet, after making all due allowance for the poetry or 
mysticism with which it is invested by the writer, it is 
clear that he does enumerate the Three Orders of the 
Ministry by name, not indeed as they might exist, were 
fancy permitted to make the sketch, but as they did 
exist in the Church, according to his own inspection and 
research. 

2. If there had been a difference between any one 
part of Christendom and another, in respect to this mat- 
ter, no man was more likely to know it than he. For, 
in addition to his intimate knowledge of everything re- 
lating to the Church, from the days of the Apostles, he 



CLEMENT OP ALEXANDRIA. 151 

had travelled extensively in the East. Thus, for exam- 
ple, he certainly knew from his own observation what the 
constitution of the Ministry was at Athens, at Corinth, 
at Jerusalem, and at Antioch, where Ignatius once pre- 
sided, and where Alexander, in his letter to the Church, 
conveyed thither by St. Clement's own hands, declares 
expressly, that " Asclepiades was their Bishop."* And 
although, perhaps, he had never been in Gaul, to see with 
his own eyes the condition of the Church there, yet he 
knew just as well as if he had, that Irenseus was Bishop 
of Lyons, and Melito Bishop of Sardis, for he lived in 
their time, and quoted their works most freely in his 
writings,"!" and thus, has given us every reason to believe 
that the sentiments which they expressed in relation to 
the Orders of the Ministry, were not only the same as his 
own, but the same as every Bishop or writer was in duty 
bound to express, in order to be consistent with the truth. 
If there had been any cause to deviate from the general 
mode of expression, in consequence of any innovation or 
usurpation on the part of the Bishops, St. Clement would 
have known it, and mentioned it, doubtless, as a Presby- 
ter of the Church, whose rights had been invaded. 

3. And yet, it is a singular fact, that no one has ever 
yet been able to produce from his works, nor yet from 
the works of any of his contemporaries, among whom we 
may reckon Polycarp and Irenseus, the remotest allu- 
sion to any such invasion. We may, therefore, with the 
utmost confidence and assurance, affirm, that what St. 
Clement says in reference to the Orders of the Ministry, 
is the very same thing which all his contemporaries had 

* Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 11. t lb. chap. 13. 



162 SECOND CENTURY. 

said, and that what was true of them, in relation to the 
Church of Alexandria, was true also in relation to every 
other Church throughout the whole world, viz. that 
Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons were the only valid, 
standing Orders known. 

With these few observations, let us now proceed to 
examine the works of Tertullian, another celebrated 
writer, who flourished at the same time, but for the most 
part, in a different country, and see whether his views of 
the Ministry were the same as those expressed above. 




TERTULLIAN. 



" How art thou fallen ! seeking mid the stars 
To set thy nest ; unloos'd from fleshly bars, 
Striving the chasten'd soul ' to wind too high ' 
For one encompass'd with humanity ! 
Could not thy mother's milk and quiet breast 
Suffice thee, nurturing to Eden's rest 1 
Thou wast her glory ; and the fiend of pride 
Ne'er could have won thee from her peaceful side, 
Were he not trick'd in guise of lowliness. 
Thou art her glory still ; and she no less 
Puts on the armouries of thy soberer soul, 
And reads from thy sad fall her lesson of control." 

The Cathedral. 



VI. 

TEHTTJLLIAN. 



QuiNTus Septimus Floeens Tertullianus, the first 
Latin author of eminence in the Church, was born at 
Carthage, the metropolis of Africa, about A. D. 150.* 
Being the offspring of heathen parents, as he himself in- 
sinuates in many of his works, it is natural to suppose 
that he was brought up in strict conformity to the idola- 
trous faith which they professed. But this did not inter- 
fere with the liberal and enlightened policy, which go- 
verned them in regard to the education of their son. For 
as his father was a Pro-consular centurion, and allied to 
royalty itselfj^ he enjoyed, from his earliest youth, every 
advantage that rank, and wealth, and travel, could be- 
stow. With a mind constituted to appreciate and im- 
prove to the utmost, every facility afforded him, he not 
only made himself master of all the learning of the 
Greeks and Romans ; but he is said to have distinguished 
himself even in the midst of the Imperial City, where he 
spent the earlier portion of his life, by his superior and 
profound acquaintance with the science of Roman law. if 

From this circumstance many have been induced to 

* Allix. t St. Jerome, Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum. 
t Euseb. lib. 2, chap. 2. 



156 SECOND CENTURY. 

believe that he was a Jurisconsult, or a lawyer, by pro- 
fession ;* but as the evidence is altogether insufficient to 
sustain such a view in the estimation of other well- 
informed writers, it is much more rational to infer from 
the general nature of his studies, that he was, strictly 
speaking, a man of letters, attached to no particular call- 
ing, whose greatest ambition was to accumulate vast 
stores of information from every department of know- 
ledge, in order, either, that he might satiate his own in- 
ordinate thirst, or render himself, perhaps, an object of 
universal admiration and regard. 

But God, in his adorable providence, oftentimes " leads 
us by a way which we know not," to the true and proper 
end of our being. It was manifestly so in the case of 
Tertullian. Without any particular object in view, 
among other things, the Christian faith became a subject 
of frequent and earnest solicitude. Owing to the pecu- 
liar character of the times, he had witnessed many scenes, 
which were calculated to produce a very strong impres- 
sion upon his mind, in its favour. Thus, for example, 
when he had been called upon to witness the immolation 
of some poor victims of persecution, at the faggot or the 
block, for not adhering to the custom of the state, in the 
worship of its gods ; and there saw the admirable cool- 
ness, and constancy, and courage, with which they en- 
dured the sorest trial of the thong or the scourge, of the 
iron or the lead, of the rack or the flame, and instead of 
murmuring or repining at their lot, pouring out their 
overflowing hearts in praise to God, that they were ac- 
counted worthy to suffer for His sake, he could not help 

* Giesler's Text Book of History. 



TERTULLIAN. 157 

to ask himself the question, why ? He saw that they 
were actuated by motives and feelings altogether differ- 
ent from those possessed by the great mass of mankind ; 
and yet, when he began to institute an inquiry into the 
origin and nature of these wonderful developments of 
their souls, the only answer that either his reason or his 
conscience could tender him was, that they were the pro- 
duct of their faith in the Saviour of the world. Their 
religion, and that alone, was the source of all their vir- 
tue and their joy. In addition to this, there seems to 
have been a disposition on the part of the Heathen 
deities themselves, if we may credit the veracity of their 
Priests,* to bear their united testimony to its divinity 
and worth. And then again, when he was led to ex- 
amine for himself the word of God, which was the tran- 
script of their faith, he was induced not only by the 
general tone and tenor of its language, but by the re- 
markable fulfilment of its prophecies, to look upon it 
with more than ordinary favour. But still he was un- 
decided. At least, he was not an open and avowed 
Christian. 

It was not the will of Heaven, however, that he 
should remain long " halting between two opinions." 
For, while his mind was taken up with scenes and 
thoughts like these, a dreadful persecution broke out at 
Rome, under the direction of Plautianus the Prefect, who 
had been temporarily intrusted with the reins of govern- 
ment, in the absence of the Emperor. Having taken 
some particular dislike to the Christians who inhabited 
that city, he embraced the opportunity to be revenged. 

* Cave's Lives, p. 203. 



158 SECOND CENTURY. 

Multitudes were put to death by his order, without dis- 
tinction of family or sex. Indeed, many of the noblest 
and best persons in Rome were sacrificed without mercy, 
at the mere fiat of this monster in human shape, for no 
other assignable reason, than that they were followers of 
the meek and lowly Nazarene. The sympathy of Tertul- 
lian was awakened in their behalf. Nay, it did not fail to 
rouse his indignation. And although at first he had no 
idea of espousing their faith, or embarking in defence of 
their cause ; yet, after the most mature examination of 
the charges preferred against them, in connection with 
the purity of their lives, he became not only well con- 
vinced of the entire innocency of those who had fallen 
victims to the malice of the Governor, but he also be- 
came thoroughly and honestly convinced in respect to 
the Divine authority and truth of the religion which they 
professed, and for which they suffered unto death. 

Immediately he set to work and wrote what he de- 
nominated " His Apology :" in which he openly and 
fearlessly espouses the cause of Jesus Christ : proves 
the Divine authority and truth of the religion which He 
came to teach : shows the entire fallacy or absurdity of 
the objections generally urged against it : and refutes 
in a masterly manner, the enormous calumnies that 
were circulated by its enemies, to the utter prejudice and 
death of all those who had the magnanimity to avow it, 
as the life and joy of their souls. This apology was dedi- 
cated to the magistrates of the Roman Empire, and espe- 
cially to the Senate of Rome, whom he thus had the 
courage to address : " And .now, O worshipful judges, 
proceed with your show of justice, and believe me, ye 
will be still more and more just in the opinion of the peo- 



TERTULLIAN. 159 

pie, the oftener you make them a sacrifice of Christians. 
Crucify, torture, condemn, grind us all to powder if you 
can ; your injustice is an illustrious proof of our innocence, 
and for the proof of this it is that God permits us to suf- 
fer ; and by your late condemnation of a Christian 
woman to the lust of a pander, rather than the rage of a 
lion, you notoriously confess that such a pollution is 
more abhorred by a Christian, than all the torments and 
deaths you can heap upon her. But do your worst, and 
rack your inventions for tortures for Christians. 'Tis 
all to no purpose ; you do but attract the notice of the 
world, and make it fall the more in love with our religion. 
The more you mow us down, the thicker we spring up — 
the Christian blood you spill, is like the seed you sow ; 
it springs from the earth again, and fructifies the more. 
That which you reproach in us as stubbornness, has been 
the most instructive mistress in proselyting the world — 
for who has not been struck with the sight of what you 
call stubbornness, and from thence prompted to look into 
the reality and grounds of it ; and whoever looked well 
into our religion that did not embrace it ? and whoever 
embraced it, (on proper grounds,) that was not ready to 
die for it 1 For this reason it is, that we thank you for 
condemning us, because there is such a happy variance 
and disagreement between the Divine and human judg- 
ment, that when you condemn us upon earth, God ab- 
solves us in Heaven."* 

This apology did much to arrest the progress of the 
persecution. It was the first attempt which had hitherto 
been made to reason the matter with the magistrates and 

• Reeve's Apologies, vol. 1. 



160 



SECOND CENTURY 



Emperors of Rome. How far it was successful, may be 
judged, from the fact, that when the Emperor returned 
to the city, and heard with surprise what had been done, 
he wholly disavowed having any thing to do with the 
massacre, and even went so far as to make a public 
apology for the atrocities which Plautianus had com- 
mitted. This was commendable and right, so far as it 
went ; but it did not repair the injury that had been 
done, nor assuage the grief of the many, many hearts, 
that had been riven with anguish, by the cruelty of him 
who still continued in his favour, and was still allowed to 
share the honour of his throne. 

The little respite that was thus gained by the followers 
of Christ, from such agonizing scenes, was prized beyond 
measure : too much so, perhaps, for their own good, or 
the interests of their cause, because they were the more 
easily entrapped. For, in a very little while after this, 
the persecution was renewed under the direction of 
Severus himself, without any apparent reason, and then 
it raged with the greatest violence, not merely at Rome, 
but in every other part of the Empire. In consequence 
of this, TertuUian left Rome, and returned to Carthage, 
where he was called upon to witness the same horrid 
scenes, and to chronicle the same mad excesses, which 
he had just hastened to escape. However, it was all to 
no purpose. Persecution followed persecution, like the 
rolling waves [of ocean, till it reached his distant 
home. He was filled with the deepest sorrow and dis- 
tress : but, still undismayed and prompted by the noblest 
feelings of humanity, he again threw himself into the 
breach. Again he advocated the innocency and virtue 
of those who were consigned to prison and to death, in 



TERTU L L I A N. 161 

every cruel form : and when he found, as he soon did, 
that argument or reason was of no avail, in rescuing 
them from the grasp of the destroyers, he endeavoured 
by all the means in his power to comfort and soothe the 
aching hearts of those who were expecting every moment 
to be summoned to their fate. In this way, he con- 
tinued to occupy himself, until the fury of the times had 
subsided in a measure, and harmony began to evince her 
control once more over anarchy and hate. 

At length, when he found himself at liberty to relax a 
little in his exertions for the interests of the oppressed, 
new difficulties appeared to demand his attention. The 
Church itself, was shaken by them to its centre. First 
one Heresy, and then another, and then another arose, till 
their name was, almost, Legion. Everywhere they 
were to be seen unfurling their standards, and drawing 
themselves up in hostile array against the Church. Many 
became exceedingly alarmed and distressed for her 
safety ; but no one cared to expose himself alone to 
their assaults. In this dilemma, Tertullian stepped forth, 
Hke David of old, against Goliah of Gath, and clad as he 
was in a panoply of well-tried strength, he assailed them 
with all his might, till he made them cry for quarter. 
The result of these labours, was a work entitled, " Pre- 
scriptions against Heretics ;" and so entirely consistent 
is it with the title which it bears, that there was scarcely 
a Heresy or Schism that occurred since the beginning of 
our faith, till the time in which he flourished, but was 
taken up and refuted in this masterly production. In 
consequence of this, and many other good offices, he 
became exceedingly dear to the great body of believers, 
and was accordingly ordained, as many suppose, a 



162 SECOND CENTURY. 

Presbyter of the Church, at Carthage, about A. D. 
192.* 

There are many others, however, whose opinion we 
value, who incline to the belief, that he was long before 
this a Presbyter of the Church at Rome. Be this as it 
may, he was, at all events, about the time of which we 
speak, a Presbyter in the Church of Carthage. Here 
he continued for some years with great credit to himself 
and the Church, not only to perform the arduous duties 
of the ministry, but to prepare for publication many 
learned and important works, in support of the Christian 
cause. 

And yet, strange as it may appear, this same Tertul- 
lian, who had hitherto been such an ornament to the 
Church, and such a champion in her defence against all 
the persecutions and Heresies of the day, became, at 
length, a wild and furious Heretic himself! In other 
words, he turned a Montanist. 

What a Montanist was, may be better understood, per- 
haps, if we give a brief account of the sect. The founder, 
whose name was Montanus, was born at Ardaba, a small 
village in Phrygia. From this circumstance his followers 
were sometimes called Phrygians, and then again, Ca- 
taphrygians, or Pepuziani, from the countries where they 
abounded most. Sometimes, too, they were distinguished 
by the title of Priscilliani, or Quintilliani, in compliment 
to two females of distinction among them, by the name 
ofPriscilla and Quintilla ; but generally speaking, Mon- 
tanists was the more appropriate term in use. Respect- 
ing the early life of Montanus, little or nothing is 

* Allix. 



TERTULLIAN. 163 

known : but it is pretty well ascertained that he was a 
Heathen, and according to some, a Heathen Priest ; but 
whether he served as an Ecclesiastic or not, after his 
conversion to the Christian faith, we have no means of 
judging, except we rely upon an obscure passage from 
St. Jerome, which makes him out a Presbyter of the 
Church in Asia. But still we conceive it to be a matter 
of no very great consequence whether he was or was not 
a Presbyter, inasmuch as he was not permitted to remain 
in any capacity within the bosom of the Church ; for we 
are informed, upon good authority,* that the Bishops of 
Asia, in various Synods, excommunicated him and all 
his adherents, for the Heresies and crimes which were 
proven against them. 

Vile and impious as many of these wretches were, 
Montanus, like the chief of all sectaries, is reputed to have 
been a paragon of excellence : leading a most holy and 
blameless life : receiving the Scriptures, and, indeed, all 
the ordinances and institutions of the Church, just as 
every other true Catholic did, except, that he entertained 
the idea, that the age of miracles and prophecy was still 
vouchsafed. Although in this even, he was not peculiar, 
for many entertained the same views, yet, when he came 
forward and announced, not only that he was the Lord 
God, but that he was the Holy Ghost, or the Paraclete, 
and was thus put in possession of greater spiritual gifts, 
called Charismata,! than were usually granted to the 
faithful, then, we think, he differed greatly from the 
sober-minded Christians of the day. In addition to these 

* Euseb. lib. 5, chap. 16. 

t Bp. of Bristol's Eccl. Hist, of the 2nd. Century, p. 17. 



164 



SECOND CENTUEY. 



impieties, he said, that he was charged to complete some 
portions of Divine revelation, which the Apostles had left 
unfinished : and hence, in the very outset of his career, 
he began to prophesy, and to utter some of the most 
strange and incoherent things that ever escaped the lips 
of m.ortal mian : and then, in order to give dignity and 
power to his pretended revelations, he imposed upon him- 
self, as well as upon his followers, (for even such a man 
could reckon followers, and those, too, of no mean quality, 
as a Maxamilla and Priscilla fully prove,) the severest 
penances and fasts]^: leading a most austere arid ascetic 
course of life ; pretending constantly to see visions and 
to have extraordinary communications made to him, 
during these intense miOrtifications of the flesh : while, 
at the same time, he denounced the Church, and all those 
who differed with him, for the extreme laxity and licen- 
tiousness of their lives, asserting not only that marriage 
was a sin, but that second marriages were absolutely in- 
cestuous, and ought to be annulled ! 

In most of these respects he was the prototype of such 
men as Irving and Campbell, and Erskine, whose strange 
and incoherent ravings a few years since, seemed to take 
the world almost by surprise, at what were then supposed 
to be the indications of a brighter and better day for the 
Church, when, in fact, they were only a new edition of 
the old exploded Heresies of Montanus and his friends. 

How a man of Tertullian's learning and sense could 
ever become infected with the empty vapouring of such 
an idiot as this, is impossible to conceive. For no one 
has ever yet been able to give a solution of the causes 
which led him to abandon the Church, and attach him- 
self to such a band of fanatics, to say the least, as Mon- 



TE RTULLIAN. 165 

tanus and his followers were. True, some pretend to 
say, that it was on account of the treatment which he 
received from his brethren in the Ministry, for his sup- 
posed attachment to the views and practices of this sect, 
long before he actually espoused their cause. Others 
suppose, that it was because he failed in securing his elec- 
tion to the Episcopate of the Church at Carthage, upon 
the demise of Agrippianus, the Bishop : while others 
again affirm, that he must have been duped or deceived 
by the representations of some of the followers of Mon- 
tanus, in order to secure him, and was thus induced to 
unite himself with a sect whose principles and policy 
were wholly unknown. 

Whatever the reader may think of these suggestions, 
we know not ; but, in our opinion, Tertullian was not a 
man to be influenced much, either by the rebukes or by 
the flatteries of the world : and above all, was not a man 
to be taken by the craft and knavery of such a^ sect as 
this. The supposition is far more plausible, that he was 
really and truly what he professed to be, a sincere dis- 
ciple of Montanus. Instead, therefore, of seeking to find 
out reasons for his conduct, which never could have had 
any bearing upon his mind, we conclude, with Bishop 
Kaye, " that the true cause of his defection from the 
Church, is to be sought in the constitution and temper of 
his mind, to which the austere doctrines and practices of 
the New Prophet were perfectly congenial."* These, 
as he must have seen and known, would be fatal and 
utterly ruinous to his hopes. And so it turned out : for 
as soon as it was discovered what were his views, he was 

* Ecc. Hist. p. 36. 



166 SECOND CENTURY. 

not only degraded from the ministry, but ejected from 
the Church, like Montanus and all his followers had 
hitherto been, about A. D. 199. 

Whether he ever repented of his folly, is a secret 
which has never been divulged. At the same time, how- 
ever, it is certain that he abandoned the society of the 
Montanists, after a few years had elapsed, and became 
a sort of Independent Preacher of the Gospel, at Car- 
thage. There, it is said, he built a Church, in which he 
officiated till the day of his death, and which even then 
was not discontinued, but was supplied with Pastors of 
the same stamp, up to the time of Augustine in the 4th 
Century, when it was entirely abandoned, through the 
influence of that holy man. In what way, or at what 
precise time, he came to his end, is unknown ; but it is 
generally believed, that he lived to the age of 70, and 
died a natural death, somewhere about A. D. 220. 

In the character of TertuHian thus given, we have an 
example of the greatest moral excellence, combined with 
the greatest mental weakness. Although he was undoubt- 
edly one of the most learned men in the Church, and in 
the estimation of St. Jerome, one of those " who had no 
superiors, and few equals, in the age in which he lived ;" 
yet we see how weak and vain he was ; how conceited 
and foolish ; how presumptuous and wild ; how vacillat- 
ing and false, notwithstanding all his piety and learning. 
In the language of another, " he exhibited how much 
wisdom and weakness, learning and ignorance, faith and 
folly, truth and error, goodness and delusion, may be 
mixed up in the composition of the same person."* 

* Dr. Haweis's Church Hist. vol. 1, p. 192. 



TE R TUL L I A N. 167 

If this be so, the question may be fairly put, with sur- 
prise, why introduce TertuUian here at all ? Why have 
anything to do with such an outcast as he, when there 
are so many others whose character, as well as whose 
testimony, are above the reach of suspicion, and just as 
easily obtained ? The answer is, 1st, because we choose 
to let just such a character speak, if he has anything to 
say on this subject, expecting, as a matter of course, 
that he will say everything he can against the distinc- 
tive principles of the Church ; and, 2d, because he is 
esteemed to be, notwithstanding all hs errors, ** the 
Prince among the writers in the Latin Church."* 

Making every possible allowance for the weakness 
and folly of TertuUian, as a great religious teacher, 
his veracity, as a writer, we believe, has never been im- 
peached ; and, therefore, in regard to a matter of fact, 
which was not likely to involve either his prejudice or 
his interest, his testimony is just as good as that of any 
other man. If, for example, we adduced him to prove 
some doctrinal point, or to settle some controverted arti- 
cle of the Christian faith, where his own principles were 
at stake, or his judgment was liable to be warped, then 
we should deem him an unsafe guide ; but when we in- 
troduce him, simply for the purpose of stating what the 
Orders of the Ministry were in his day, and that, too, 
without any previous warning, we think there can be no 
reasonable objection urged against him. Indeed, if there 
be any objection, it militates more against the side we 
have taken than the other, inasmuch, as he is known to 
have entertained opinions diametrically opposite to those 

* Vincent De Lirens. 



168 



SECOND CENTURY. 



entertained by the most distinguished friends of the 
Church ; and yet, we shall not be deterred by (his con- 
sideration, nor indeed by any consideration, but let him 
speak out, what he has to say, when he was both a 
friend and an enemy to the discipline, and worship, and 
faith of the Church. By pursuing this course, we shall 
have the double advantage of hearing both sides of the 
question, if such indeed there be, and thus obtain the 
truth. For if the testimony of Tertullian be not contra- 
dictory, or the same in both instances, and so in every 
instance, we may fairly conclude, that what he says in 
reference to the Threefold Orders of the Ministry, was not 
merely a matter of fact^ but a matter of truth, so naked 
and plain, as to admit of no debate. 

With these few prefatory remarks, let us see what Ter- 
tullian says concerning the orders of the Ministry, before 
he became a Montanist. The following words occur in 
a tract that was written expressly with the view of con- 
futing the Heretics of his day, entitled 

DE PRJISCRIPTIONE H Jl.RETICORUM. 

1. " You who dissent," he says, " are confuted by the 
very novelty of your doctrine. The true doctrine must 
be old, and cannot be new. Now the Church and its 
doctrines, which you despise, are much older than all 
your sects, and their respective doctrines. Nay, the 
Church is as old as the Apostles ; . it was founded all 
over the world by the Apostles, and transmits down, from 
age to age, the doctrines which it received from them. 
But from whom did you receive your doctrine ? Not from 
the Church, for you have gone out of it. Trace it up, even 



TEETULLIAN. 169 

for a few years, if you can ; much less can you trace it 
up to the Apostles. In truth, your doctrine began with 
you, or at least with your immediate teachers. Where 
was it before ? Was it hidden from the Church, that 
doctrine which Christ commanded should be set up on 
high among the faithful, like a light within a house ? 
Impossible : it plainly began with you : v^e can put our 
finger on the date of its birth : and, therefore, it is false : 
Christ and his Apostles planted the true Gospel, accord- 
ing to the will of the Father ; and he says, ' Every plant 
which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be 
rooted up.' "*f 

2. " That which was first delivered," he adds, " was 
from the Lord, and true ; but that is extraneous and 
false which comes in afterwards. This position will 
stand firm against those later heresies, in which there is 
no principle of conscience that seeks the support of truth. 
But if any dare to thrust themselves into the Apostolic 
age, in order that they may appear to have been handed 
down from the Apostles, because they existed under the 
Apostles, we may say. Let them show the originals of 
their Churches ; let them unroll the series of their 
Bishops, 50 running down by successions from the beginning, 
and prove that their first Bishop had for his ordainer and 
predecessor, either some one of the Apostles, or Aposto- 
lic men, who continued steadfast with the Apostles. For 
in this manner the Apostolic Churches deduce their succes- 
sions ; as the Church of the Smyrneans, for example, 
traces the line of its succession up to Polycarp, who was 
placed there by St. John : thus the Church of the Ro- 

* Matt. XV. 13. t Chap. 32. 



170 



SECOND CENTUKY. 



mans also refers us to Clement, who was ordained by 
St. Peter ; and so do all the other Churches, in like man- 
ner, exhibit those who, being introduced into the Episco- 
pate by the Apostles, were thus put in possession of that 
Apostolic Seed, which they have handed down to us. Let 
the Heretics produce anything like this."* 

3. " Their ordinations are careless, capricious, incon- 
sistent. At one time, they place in office novices ; at 
another, men tied to the world ; at another, apostates from 
us, that they may bind them to themselves by vain-glory, 
since they cannot by truth. No where is promotion 
readier than in the camp of such, when even to be there 
is a merit. Wherefore, one man is a Bishop to-day, 
another to-morrow : he who is to-day a Deacon, will be 
to-morrow a Reader : he who is a Presbyter to-day, 
will be to-morrow a Layman, for even to Laymen they 
commit the Priestly office. "f 

The following passages are selected from the writings 
of Tertullian, after he became a Montanist. Thus, he 
says, in the tract entitled 

DE BAPTISMO. 

4. " To conclude my little work, it remaineth that I 
give an admonition also concerning the right rule of 
giving and receiving Baptism. The right of giving it, 
indeed, hath the Chief Priest, which is the Bishop : 
then the Presbyters and Deacons ; yet not without the 
authority of the Bishops, for the honour of the Church, 

* Chap. 32. 

t Library of the Fathers, chap. 4], 14. 



TERTULLIAN. 171 

by keeping which pure, peace is thereby preserved. 
Otherwise Laymen have also the right; for what is 
equally received, may equally be given, unless the name 
discentesy i. e. disciples, denote at once Bishops, or Pres- 
byters, or Deacons."* 

Again, the following words occur in the tract entitled 

DE FUGA IN PERSECUTIONE. 

5. " It behooves every servant of God to think and 
to act in this manner, whether he may be ranked among 
the Laity or the Clergy, if he would maintain his post 
unmoved in time of persecution. But when the clergy 
themselves, that is, the Deacons, the Presbyters, and 
Bishops, fly, in what way will the Laity be able to com- 
prehend the meaning of that passage of Scripture, ' Flee 
from city to city V'f For when the officers fly, what pri- 
vate soldier will remain to assist those who are using 
their best endeavours to form a line in battle array ?";|: 

REMARKS. 

1. In the first of these extracts, the reader will per- 
ceive that TertuUian undertakes to show, and, as we 
think, does show, conclusively, the utter fallacy and 
worthlessness of the doctrines advanced by the Heretics 
of his day, on the ground of their ^^ novelty;^' arguing, 
most justly, that if they were true and worthy of belief, 
they would have been preached and promulged, in 
some way, by our Saviour and his Apostles ; but as 

* Chap, viii— 8. 17. t Matt. x. 23. t Chap. 11. 



172 SECOND CENTURY. 

this was not the case, according to their own admis- 
sion, it was evident that the doctrines which they 
taught, so far as these doctrines were inconsistent with 
the teaching of the Church, were equally, with them- 
selves, entitled to no sort of respect. In justification of 
themselves, it is true, these Heretics contended that the 
doctrines which they held were entertained by the Apos- 
tles of our Lord, and communicated to the faithful in se- 
cret, hy tradition ; but Tertullian confutes them at once, 
by asserting that neither the Scriptures, nor the Church, 
which was the sole Depository of Truth, knew anything 
about such doctrines ; and hence, he concludes, that as 
they were " new and not old," like the Church, they 
ought to receive no countenance or support whatever 
from any of the disciples of our Lord. 

In the same manner, precisely, did the Reformers argue 
with the Romanists, at a later period, in regard to all 
those abominations, which that apostate branch of the 
Church, had introduced into the worship and service of 
God. And thus do we, their descendants, argue in re- 
gard to every other corruption or innovation, of whatever 
kind, which either they or others have introduced into 
the doctrine, or discipline, or worship of the Church. 
The rule which Tertullian applied to all these, as a test, 
is an admirable one to be observed, because it cuts up by 
the very roots, or consigns to utter oblivion and disgrace, 
everything appertaining to the Church that is recent, and 
not old as the time of Christ and his Apostles. 

2. And hence, as we might anticipate, when he comes 
to speak of the Ministry which the Heretics had formed, 
he goes on to show, in the next passage, that instead of 
being able to trace it, as the Church of Smyrna traced 



TEETULLIAN. 173 

it, or as the Church of Rome traced it, and indeed, as 
every other pure Church did, through the hues of their 
Pastors, the Bishops, up to some Apostle or Apostolic 
men, who were ordained to the Episcopate by the Apos- 
tles, for the very purpose of transmitting the Apostolic 
Ministry in its purity unimpaired, they had nothing of 
the kind to offer ; and then, with a boldness and a power 
of exclamation seldom equalled, he defies the Heretics to 
produce one solitary instance, of a Ministry, among them, 
proceeding from such a source, asserting, that however 
much they might attempt to impose upon the credulity 
of the simple, by the outward show of a Ministry, similar 
to that of the Church, based upon succession-, they had 
really no succession, and, of course, no Ministry, for the 
very reason assigned, that it could not be traced back to 
any Apostle^ or Apostolic man, as its author. Assuming 
this as the basis, he demonstrates, in one short sentence, 
the utter absurdity of every plea in its favour, by the 
simple assertion, " I can put my finger on the very date 
of its birth, and, therefore, it is false." 

3. Thus, early and fearlessly, did Tertullian pronounce 
sentence of condemnation against all the recent, unde- 
rived Ministries of the age in which he lived. No mat- 
ter who they were, or what they were, he did not hesitate 
to say before the world, that they were spurious und false. 
That he spoke advisedly,, apd in accordance with the 
general sentiment of the Church, we have every reason 
to beheve. That he drew down upon himself, however, 
the severest censure and rebuke of those whose polity had 
been denounced, we may easily conceive. But Tertul- 
lian was not a man to flinch from asserting what he knew 
to be the truth. What he said then, he would doubtless 



174 SECOND CENTURY. 

say again, or even now, were he alive. Nay, would he 
not say, as he cast his eyes around upon the various 
heresies of the day which have sprung up within the last 
three hundred years, " I can put my finger upon the very 
date of their birth?" Certainly, he could not help it. 
For the ti?ne is known exactly in reference to each and 
every one ; and not only so, but all the circumstances 
connected with their being prove, beyond a question, that 
they are without descent, without succession, without any 
legitimate pretence whatever, to be thought the proper 
issue of the Church. All this is conceded, in fact, is 
rather vaunted, as their peculiar characteristic ; and, 
therefore, according to Tertulhan's rule, they are to be 
accounted as spurious and false. For, we hold, as hon- 
estly as he did, that a valid Ministry rests upon succession, 
and not upon the whim or caprice of every one who may 
choose to usurp the sacred office. From the very outset, 
there has been law, order, custom, in regard to this mat- 
ter. No man was ever allowed to minister in sacred 
things, under either dispensation, unless he had been 
lawfully called and set apart to the work by those who 
had themselves been so called and set apart. This is 
what we understand by succession. 

And yet there are multitudes in our day, as in the days 
of Tertullian, who began their career of guilt by tramp- 
ling under foot all these sacred and time-honoured cus- 
toms. And although it is true they do not continue to do so 
apparently, at each successive step, because they seem to 
have a regular mode of procedure, yet it is in fact just 
the same as if they did, inasmuch as they build upon the 
old foundation, which is nothing more than sand. When 
we attempt to reason with them, concerning the presump- 



TE RT U LLI AN. 175 

tioa and impiety of their course, perhaps their reply will 
be, that they have just as good a right to preach the gos- 
pel, and administer its sacraments, as those who have re- 
ceived authority from a regularly authorized Bishop ; 
alleging as a reason, that all Christians are Priests of 
God, and therefore qualified, by some inherent right, to 
do His work, without " the laying on of hands," if so be, 
their brethren choose to call them.* If the case of Ko- 
rah, Dathan, and Abiram is produced as a warning to all 
self-constituted, or congregationally-authorized intruders 
into the sacred office of the Ministry, that is discarded 
with a jeer, because it occurred under another dispensa- 
tion ; and since nothing of the kind has occurred under 
this, amidst unnumbered provocations, they take it for 
granted, that all barriers are thrown down, and that every 
one is at liberty to act as he pleases in reference to this 
matter. 

We know, indeed^ that such extreme views are not en- 
tertained by all the schismatics of the present day, or if 
entertained, that they are not carried out into practice ; 
yet we have every reason to believe, that if they were put 
to the test, such would be the issue, or, in other words, that 
they would re-create a Ministry anew, without depending 
on the old. And hence, it is a matter of notoriety, too 
well authenticated to require proof, that nearly all, and 
perhaps all Dissenters, discard not merely the doctrine of 
succession^ as held by the Church in Tertulhan's day, as 
well as by themselves in former times,^ through a some- 
different channel, but they reject also the Threefold Or- 

* See Luther's Address to the Emperor and Nobility of Germany. 
D'Aubigne's Hist, of the Ref. vol. 2, p. 88. 



176 SECOND CENTURY. 

ders of the Ministry, which our Saviour and his Apostles 
estabhshed. In this, they are more than a match for the 
Heretics whom Tertullian denounces. For they, with 
all their madness and delusion, had not the hardihood to 
impugn the Orders of the Church, like those among us, 
but adopted them, even to the very names, just as the 
Church always did.* 

4. Thus, in the last of those extracts given from his 
works, before Tertullian became a Montanist, he declares 
that with them a man might be either a Bishop, or a 
Presbyter, or a Deacon, to-day, and neither of these to- 
morrow, just as the whim or caprice of his mind might 
incline him, and that was oftentimes quite as fickle as 
the wind, so that they could hardly be said to have 
anything like a certain and permanent Ministry at all ; 
but still, it is nowhere affirmed by Tertullian, much 
less intimated, that they ever assailed these Orders, or 
any one of them, as a Priestly innovation, or a human 
device, as some in our day do ; but always owned them, 
and honoured them, and adhered to them, through every 
stage of their existence, as the only authorized and 
legal mode in which the Ministry could be framed. As 
they knew no other, and certainly never saw any other, 
they of course adopted that which the Church of Christ 
had everywhere adopted, and styled, Bishops, Peesby- 
TEiis, and Deacons. 

In support of this, the passage already alluded to, to- 
gether with those ascribed to Tertullian after he became 
a Montanist, is ample and conclusive. Thus, in one of 
these, not only are the Three Orders of the Ministry 

* Palmer on the Church, vol. 2, p. 365. 



TERTULLIAN. 177 

mentioned twice by name, the chief of which is styled 
the Bishop ; but in the last passage quoted, these Orders 
are denominated the Clergy^ in contradistinction to the 
Laity, and are there ranged according to their rank, be- 
ginning at the lowest, thus. Deacons, Presbyters, and 
Bishops. Now, if there had been other Clergy, to whom 
this epithet might apply, this was the place to mention 
them ; or if these were not the Clergy, in the proper 
sense of that word, this was a good opportunity to inform 
us respecting them. But Tertullian does no such thing, 
giving us thereby to understand most clearly, that these, 
and these only, composed the divinely constituted Ministry 
of that Church which Christ and his Apostles founded. 

5. So far then as Tertullian is concerned, there can 
be no doubt but the only Ministry which he knew any- 
thing of, either in the Church, or out of^ it, was composed 
of three distinct grades. There was no difference at 
Rome, or at Smyrna, or at Carthage, in respect to this 
matter. Everywhere it was the same from one side of 
Christendom to the other. In every city where Chris- 
tianity had made any considerable progress, there was to 
be found a Bishop, with his Presbyters and Deacons, to 
assist him in the service of the Church. No other Orders 
were known or thought of yet. Although nearly two 
hundred years had passed away, since these were institut- 
ed, no one had hitherto appeared to impeach the plan, 
which had been formed in infinite wisdom, or to impose 
a new one upon the followers of Christ, in its stead. All 
went on harmoniously, and united thus far in support of 
the one, only Apostolic plan. At least so Tertullian de- 
clares, and if we may believe him, so he thought, and 
wrote, and acted, during the most of his eventful life. 



173 SECOND CENTURY. 

That he was deceived, we cannot imagine for a moment, 
as he was born within fifty years of the death of St. John ; 
so that if any change had been made in the Ministry, in 
any part of the world, it could not have escaped his no- 
tice, with the knowledge and means of information which 
he possessed. Indeed, the Churches themselves, to 
which he appeals for confirmation of his doctrine in re- 
gard to the succession, were positive proof, nay, a stand- 
ing monument of the truth of what he said, that the Three 
Orders of the Ministry were not of human invention, but 
of Apostolic origin, and, consequently, of Divine[creation. 
And, therefore, we may make our obeisance to Tertul- 
lian, with this simple remark, in conclusion, that what- 
ever other faults he may have had, he has not the sin to 
answer for, of misrepresenting the only authorized Minis- 
try which Christ and his Apostles formed, and gave for- 
ever to the Church. 

Let us now proceed to examine the Fathers of the Third 
Century, and see what they say in reference to this sub- 
ject. We will take the famous Origen first in order. 




ORIGEN. 



" Into God's word as in a palace fair, 

Thou leadest on and on, while still beyond 
Each chamber touch'd by holy Wisdom's wand, 

Another opes, more beautiful and rare ; 

And thou in each, art kneeling down in prayer, 
From link to link of that mysterious bond 
Seeking for Christ ; but oh ! I fear thy fond 

And beautiful torch, that with so bright a glare 

Lighteth up all things, lest thy Heaven-ht brand 

And thy serene Philosophy divine 

Should take the colourings of earthly thought. 

And I, by their sweet images o'erwrought. 

Led by weak Fancy, should let go Truth's hand. 
And miss the way into the inner shrine. " 

The Cathedral. 




THIRD CENTURY. 
VII. 

ORIGEN'. 



Origen, surnamed Adamantius, on account of his un- 
wearied diligence and zeal in the pursuit of knowledge, 
was born at Alexandria, the metropolis of ancient Egypt, 
A. D. 185. From his birth he enjoyed the inestimable 
privilege of having Christian parents to " bring him up in 
the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Both of them 
seemed to have vied with each other in the performance 
of this duty. The father, especially, who was a man of 
more than ordinar}'' attainments, devoted much of his 
time to the mental and moral culture of his son. Ac- 
cordingly, at a very early age, we are told that a por- 
tion of the Sacred Scriptures was given him as a part of 
his daily task. And yet, not a task persisted in, without 
some pleasing prospect of reward : but one, in which he 
gave the first indications of that superior power of re- 
search, for which he afterwards became so extensively 
known. Young as he was, his questions and answers 
were so far beyond the usual intelligence of children of 
his years, that the enraptured father was oftentimes 
obliged to reprove him for daring to meddle with things 
so much above his reach, as he supposed, while, at the 
same time, he was almost overwhelmed at the precocity 



182 THIRD CENTURY. 

of his genius. Nay, so infatuated did he become at this 
remarkable trait in his character, that Eusebius says, he 
has been known to steal away frequently to his couch, 
in the silent watches of the night, in order that he might 
imprint a kiss upon his bosom, and thank God for the 
gift of so promising a child.* 

At length, when he was so far advanced as to require 
another instructor, he was sent, in the fourth year of his 
age, to the Catechetical School of his native city, then 
under the charge of the famous Clemens Alexandrinus. 
With him he made such progress in his studies, as to be- 
come not only one of the most distinguished pupils in all 
the elementary branches of Christian education, but in 
almost every department of learning pursued in Heathen 
lands. From this wide field he soon began to show a de- 
cided preference for the study of Philosophy, and espe- 
cially the Platonic, which was then esteemed the most 
sublime and perfect of the age. 

For the purpose of making himself master of its secrets, 
he entered the celebrated school of Ammonius, sometimes 
called Saccas, from the circumstance that he once car- 
ried sacks of corn, as a common porter in the streets, 
and yet, by the force of his talents and zeal, had so im- 
proved his leisure hours, as to raise himself from the humble 
capacity of a slave, to rank among the most learned and 
eloquent Philosophers of the age in which he lived. 
Great as he was, he was, nevertheless, a most unsafe 
guide, for such a youth as Origen. For, in addition to 
his being a man of a wild and fanatical turn of mind, he 
was really an infidel at heart. The volume of Eternal 

* Lib. 6, chap. 2. 



O KIG E N. 183 

Truth was too simple, too tame, for his proud and philo- 
sophic spirit to receive, with all that humility required 
in the Gospel of Jesus Christ ; and although he had con- 
sented to do so for a while, yet he soon relapsed into Pa- 
ganism, from whence he came, vainly supposing that he 
could form a new system of Philosophy, out of the dis- 
cordant elements in vogue, to which all parties and creeds 
would assent. Impossible as the scheme was, he devised 
it, doubtless, for the purpose of glossing over his apostacy 
from the faith of Christ, and of retaining the respect of 
the world. Whether he succeeded to the full extent of 
his anticipations, we need not say : but that he claimed 
for himself the merit of having reconciled Philosophy 
with Revelation, is a matter of record too notorious to 
deny.* The system thus formed by Ammonius was very 
properly denominated the EcLEc:ric. 

Under the tuition of this man, however, Origen was 
most unfortunately placed to acquire a knowledge of the 
Platonic system ; but still his progress was so great, that 
before he attained his 17th year, he was considered by 
many persons, quite equal, if not superior to his master, 
in all the mysteries of that ancient art. To some, per- 
haps, his success was a matter of infinite delight ; while 
to others, it was, doubtless, a source of infinite regret, 
when they discovered the baleful influence which this 
favourite study was exerting over the whole habit of his 
mind in relation to sacred things. It seemed to give a 
new turn to all his future thoughts, and made him one of 
the strangest, instead of one of the truest, interpreters 
of Holy Writ. 

* Enfield's Hist, of Philosophy, p. 462. 



184 THIRD CENTURY. 

While he was thus pressing on, apparently unfettered, 
in his course to the highest pinnacle of worldly fame, a 
persecution suddenly arose against the followers of our 
Lord, under the cruel sway of the Emperor Severus, 
A. D. 202. From the date, the reader will instantly per- 
ceive, that this is the same which raged so furiously in 
Gaul and elsewhere, when Irenseus suffered death, and 
TertuUian wrote his famous work. Among those who 
were best known in the city of Alexandria, for their at- 
tachment to the Christian faith, at the beginning of his 
persecution, was Leonides, the father of Origen. Being 
a man of bold and ardent spirit, he scorned to conceal the 
emotions of his soul, without regard to the issue. Indeed, 
from the very hour in which the awful scourge began its 
onward march, he was among the foremost to array him- 
self against it, not only by his manly and able defence 
of all the peculiar doctrines of the Gospel, but by his 
exertions in behalf of those who had been sentenced to 
death, or were just ready to deny their Lord, whenever 
the decisive hour should come. As we may readily con- 
ceive, he was one of the very first to render himself 
odious to the civil powers. Accordingly, he was soon 
arrested, and cast into prison, to answer for his deeds. 

While Leonides was lying in this precarious situation, 
Origen was distressed beyond measure. Not because he 
was unwilling for him to suffer, even unto death, were it 
necessary for the interests of religion, but for fear lest he 
might not be able to resist the temptation which was 
constantly assailing him, to renounce the Christian faith, 
and offer sacrifice to the gods, for the sake of his poor 
distressed family. Origen, however, had no sympathy 
with any such feeling. He was above all such con- 



ORIGEN. 185 

siderations. And hence, although it was under the cer- 
tain conviction of losing him ; yet, we are told by Eu- 
sebius, that he wrote a letter to his father, in which he ex- 
horted him, in the most earnest and pathetic manner, " not 
to change his mind on their account."* Great as the strug- 
gle was, Leonides stood firm. And when the time ac- 
tually arrived for him to be led away to execution, the 
same son, who had urged him on to his fate, with a mag- 
nanimity and courage truly sublime, instead of giving up 
to despondency and tears, at the issue, was impelled with 
such a desire to go and suffer with him, that his mother 
was scarcely able to restrain him. And the only way that 
she finally succeeded in detaining him at home, and thus 
preventing his death, was by hiding his clothes, until her 
husband had perished at the block ! 

As soon as Leonides had fallen beneath the axe of the 
executioner, all his estate, which was large, was confis- 
cated, and became henceforth the property of the Em- 
pire, by a decree of the Roman Senate. Thus, at one 
fell stroke, was this afflicted family bereft, not only of 
their best and truest friend, but a mother and seven 
children were thrown upon the wide world, without a 
protector or a home. They had no resources left, but 
those which a kin d Providence has ever promised to the 
suffering and distressed. But these were sufficient, and 
more than sufficient, to meet their every want. For He 
who looks with an eye of the tenderest compassion upon 
the widow and the fatherless in their affliction, came to 
their relief. Not, indeed, as of old, in his own immortal 
person, when he tabernacled in the flesh ; but through the 

♦ Lib. 6, chap. 2. 



186 



THIRD CE NT U R Y 



medium of a stranger, whose agency He chose. That 
stranger was a rich and honourable lady of great benevo- 
lence and worth, who resided at the time in the city of 
Alexandria. And it is not a little remarkable, that al- 
though she was not professedly a Christian, still she had 
the fortitude and generosity to tender them her aid, 
as soon as she heard of their distress. Origen, in par- 
ticular, was invited to her house, where he enjoyed every 
comfort, that either wealth or friendship could bestow. 

And yet, strange as it may seem, he found it anything 
but pleasant. For, it so happened, that this same lady, 
a little after this, received under her roof as a guest, one 
of the most noted Heretics of the day. Origen was dis- 
pleased at this procedure. Instead of regarding it as an 
act of benevolence worthy of all praise, without any 
reason whatever, he took it as an affront. For, his truth- 
ful spirit could not brook the presence and fellowship of 
a man who entertained the sentiments that he avowed. 
Nay, he not only abominated the idea of having inter- 
course with him, but he could not be induced, by any 
favour or displeasure, to unite even in family prayer, 
with such a man as Paul of Antioch was. And the con- 
sequence was, that he retired at once from his situation, 
forfeiting the bounty, and, doubtless, the esteem of the 
noble matron whom God had raised up in time of need, 
for the support of himself and his house. 

Severe and hazardous as this step was, he alone re- 
mained tranquil and composed. Although he felt, and 
that deeply, the serious inconvenience and loss which 
this bold act might occasion him, and those committed to 
his charge ; yet, it is easy to see, that duty, and not in- 
terest, compelled him to lay aside all selfish considera- 



O RIG E N. 187 

tions, and submit to the worst. And, therefore, instead 
of murmuring or repining at this sudden reversion of his 
lot, he resolved to cast himself upon the protection of his 
God, and labour for their support. 

With this end in view, he opened a school at Alex- 
andria, for the instruction of youth in Philosophy and 
the arts. And, although himself but a youth of scarcely 
18 years, he soon found himself surrounded by pupils, 
not only from some of the most distinguished families' in 
the Empire, but by some of the most noted Heretics and 
Philosophers of the day, from every part of the globe, 
who came to put themselves under his care. Fortune 
seemed to smile upon him ; insomuch, that in a very 
short time he was enabled, not merely to provide every 
comfort for himself and his household, but to lay up in 
store a sufficiency for their support for some time to 
come. In addition to this, he acquired the most un- 
bounded reputation as an instructor, and thus became 
the agent, under God, of giving character and tone, not 
only to multitudes of youth ; but he was made the 
honoured instrument of bringing many of the wise and 
noble of the earth, to a knowledge of the truth as it is in 
Jesus, who had otherwise adhered to all the scepticism 
and idolatry in which they were steeped, till they had 
gone down to the chambers of the second death. Among 
these, we might mention Plutarch, Severus, Heraclides, 
Heron, and others,* who afterwards suffered martyrdom 
so gloriously for " the faith once delivered to the 
saints." 

Origen, however, had not been long in this station, 

* Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 4. 



188 THIKD CENTURY. 

when he was called to occupy a higher post. After the 
flight, or death, of Clemens Alexandrinus, his former in- 
structor, he was selected by Demetrius, his Bishop, as 
the most suitable person to take charge of the Catecheti- 
cal School of Alexandria, at that time the most cele- 
brated in the world. Difficult and arduous as was the 
task for one who had not yet attained his 19th year, he 
did not refuse to attempt it, although he was called to 
succeed a man who had left no equal living. And yet, 
instead of decreasing, the school rather increased under 
his care. J^ultitudes from every quarter of the globe, 
came hither to enjoy the benefit of his instruction. At 
first, Philosophy and Religion formed the prominent 
subjects of pursuit ; but finding himself too much oppress- 
ed by the extensive range into which he was led, in the 
discussion of these themes, he was obliged to abandon 
the former, for the more delightful and important pur- 
pose of giving his mind wholly to the latter. And that he 
might not be tempted to resume it again, at any future 
period, it is said, that he disposed of all the works that he 
had either collected or written relating to Philosophy, 
many of which were exceedingly valuable and rare, for 
the mere pension of four oboli* a day, during life If 

From this circumstance, we infer, that he had seen 
the utter vanity of the cold and heartless speculations in 
which he had been so long engaged, and that he had re- 
solved, henceforth, upon a more serious and pious course 
of life. Being naturally of an austere and monkish turn 
of mind, he began to persuade his pupils, that how 

* The obolus was a small coin, about two or three cents in value, 
t Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 3. 



O R IG E N. 189 

muchsoever Philosophy and secular learning might be 
praised, Religion, in its purity and power, was infinitely 
more to be valued and esteemed. But this was merely 
to prepare the way for other thoughts. The simple fact, 
that religion was infinitely more precious than philoso- 
phy, or any thing besides, was not enough for him to 
say, in order to carry out his views, but he must give 
them an evidence in his own person of what he con- 
ceived to be its real character and spirit. Accordingly, 
he began to devote much of his time to seclusion and 
prayer ; to deprive himself of the common necessaries 
of life ; to inure himself to cold, and nakedness, and 
hunger ; and for this purpose, he went for many years 
without shoes on his feet ; slept on the bare ground, in 
preference to a bed ; drank no wine and eat no food for 
days together, and never more than would actually sus- 
tain nature, until he had well-nigh ruined his constitu- 
tion. And then, to crown all, he made an eunuch of 
himself, in order to be above suspicion, and to take away 
the last link in the chain of his connexion with the 
flesh, supposing that to interpret the words of our 
Saviour literally in St. Matthews Gospel,* was merely 
doing what He sanctioned, as a great and glorious ser- 
vice !f 

To such extremes did he carry his abstinence and de- 
votion at this period of his Hfe, that many of his best 
friends forsook him, as a most incorrigible fanatic or 
fool. But this did not affect him. Indeed, it rather 
tended to confirm him more thoroughly in the severe dis- 
cipline which he had chosen to impose upon himself. 
And the more so, perhaps, when he saw that he was sus- 

* Chap. 19, 12. t Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 3. 



190 THIRD CENTURY. 

tained by his pupils. For, instead of renouncing him, as 
others had done, and quitting his school in disgust, it is 
no less singular than true, that they were so fascinated 
by the deep and holy fervour of the man, that many of 
them not only approved of every thing he did, but some 
of them actually imitated him in the severest penances 
and toils, which he had so rigidly exacted of himself! 
Among these, we are told, " were many of the unbeliev- 
ing Heathen, and some of the learned, and even Philoso- 
phers of no mean account.* Unaccountable as it may 
seem, and humbling as it may be to the pride of fallen 
man, yet the remark has sometimes been made, and 
made, too, in view of the best authenticated facts, that 
there never was a religious fanatic yet, and probably 
never will be, who was doomed to a solitary existence, no 
matter how absurd and foolish his practices might be. 
Followers he must, and will have, out of every rank and 
condition in life. So it was in the case of Origen, and so 
it has ever been, from that day to this. 

Unfitted as Origen was apparently, by the perfor- 
mance of these continued devotions, for any other duty, 
he nevertheless found time to minister to the wants of 
those who stood in need of his assistance. And there 
were many such. For the fires of persecution were 
blazing at every point. Multitudes were going daily and 
hourly to prison or to death. Some few friends, per- 
haps, had courage enough to follow them, like Peter did 
the Master whom he loved, afar off ; but, generally speak- 
ing, they all forsook them and fled. And yet such was 
the stern unflinching make of his nature, that often- 
times he had been known to force himself, not only into 

* Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 3. 



O RI G E N . 191 

the deep dark dungeons, where they lay, in agony and 
chains, for the purpose of pouring into their minds some 
cheering hope, or glorious thought of happiness and bliss 
hereafter : but he as frequently attended them to the 
scaffold and the stake, in order to animate and entreat 
them to hold on courageously to the last, with the 
greatest tenderness and love. 

In this way he exposed himself, repeatedly, to the most 
imminent danger. Many a time did the rabble threaten 
to seize him and burn him at the same stake with his 
friends. And although they stoned him and beat him, 
over and over again, till his life was almost extinct, still 
he was not alarmed, neither did he intermit his labours 
for a moment, but continued them literally through fire 
and sword, through cruel mockings and scourgings, 
through evil report and good report, in the midst of the 
fiercest opposition. Nothing ever daunted him. He 
never flinched, but was always calm, firm, invincible ; 
nay, fearless as the wind, whatever might betide. He 
seemed to be made for troublous times. A martyr's 
heart, as well as a martyr's blood, were his. And hence 
he was always impelled by some mysterious agency to 
go forward in the path of duty, perfectly regardless of 
every torture which men or devils could invent. 

At length, when the Emperor Severus, that scourge of 
Christendom, expired, and he found himself released, in 
a measure, from labours such as these, he undertook a 
journey to Rome, which he had long desired to see, about 
A. D. 211. Here he remained but a short time, in con- 
sequence of the earnest entreaties of his Bishop. Much 
as he needed relaxation, he returned immediately to Alex- 
andria, and associated with him, in the instruction of his 



192 THIRD CENTURY. 

school, one of his pupils, by the name of Heraclas, a young- 
man of profound and varied acquirements, who after- 
wards became the Bishop of that See. By this means, 
Origen was enabled to devote more of his time than 
usual to his favourite study of the Scriptures. His de- 
light was to read them in the original. But the serious 
inconvenience that he felt at every step of his progress, 
in not being familiar with the Hebrew, induced him, even 
at this period of his life, to devote himself to its study, in 
order that he might be able to read the Word of God in 
a language which was hterally sealed up to most of the 
learned men of his day. 

While Origen was thus busily and profitably employed, 
he was summoned, rather unexpectedly, to occupy his 
mind in other ways. About this time, the Governor of 
Arabia, hearing of his fame, sent a messenger to Deme- 
trius, his Bishop, with a request that Origen might be 
sent to instruct him in the mysteries of the faith. With- 
out delay, he at once set off, and performed the task as- 
signed him, not only with honour to himself, but with 
equal profit and delight to the distinguished personage 
just named. 

Scarcely had he accomplished this service, than the 
aunt* of the Emperor, whose name was Mamsea, and 
who, by the way, was a woman of uncommon piety and 
worth, having heard of his splendid talents and deeds, 
sent a military escort to ask him to come and pay her a 
visit at Antioch."!" ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^® acceded, and after 



* Eusebius calls her the mother of the Emperor ; but this is said 
to be a mistake. — Burton's Eccl. Hist, vol, 2, p. 273. 
t Euseb. lib, 6, chap. 21. 



OKI G E N. 193 

spending" some time there, " exhibiting innumerable mat- 
ters calculated to promote the glory of the Lord, and to 
evince the excellence of Divine instruction," he hasten- 
ed back to resume his wonted charge. 

These repeated instances of favour and attention from 
the great and noble of the earth, hovi^ever, did not inflate 
him with pride, nor lead him to place a high estimate upon 
his powers, as we might fairly suppose ; but they only 
seemed to humble him in the dust, and make him feel, 
still more than he had hitherto done, that Truth was 
everything, £ind he nothing, and less than nothing, in 
comparison. No man was ever more truly humble than 
Origen : indeed, humility was his crowning grace. 

Amidst all his other avocations, Origen was the first to 
conceive and execute the plan of writing a Commentary 
upon the Scriptures. Stupendous as the idea was, and 
encompassed, as it necessarily must have been, with all 
sorts of difficulties, he commenced the work at once ; 
and such was his unexampled diligence, that in a very 
short time he was enabled, by the help of seven amanu- 
enses, to whom he dictated, and as many transcribers, to 
present to the public, at the expense of Ambrosius,* an 
opulent friend, almost every book of the Sacred Scrip- 
tures, with comments, more or less complete, from his 
prolific pen. And this was executed with so much learn- 
ing and taste, that St. Jerome declares, he could be con- 
tent to bear all the odium which was cast upon his name, 
if he only possessed his skill and knowledge in reference 
to the Scriptures. 

About the time when this work was completed, Alex- 

* Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 23. 



194 THIRD CENTURY. 

andria was attacked by the Emperor Caracalla, and 
Origen, in order to escape the ravages of war, went into 
Palestine, and took up his abode at Cesarea. While 
there, Theoctistus, the Bishop of that city, prevailed upon 
him to expound the Scriptures publicly in the Church, 
before he was properly ordained. This gave great um- 
brage to Demetrius, his Bishop, who immediately ordered 
him to return. The command was obeyed. And al- 
though he returned to Alexandria, yet shortly after, we 
find him again entreated to visit Greece, on some impor- 
tant business of the Church. The rapid and wide-spread 
heresies of the day had almost riven it to its centre. It 
looked to him for relief. In fact, he was thought to be 
the only man competent to do it, or could do it, as the 
records show, when he came to debate the matter with 
his adversaries, before the assembled wisdom of the 
Church. 

On his way to execute this delicate and difficult task, 
he passed through Palestine, and, as a matter of course, 
went once more to see his friend Theoctistus. But now, 
instead of urging him to expound the Word of God to his 
people, as he had hitherto done, without the necessary 
qualification, Theoctistus, in company with Alexander, 
Bishop of Jerusalem, ordained him at once a Presbyter 
of the Church.* This, being contrary to all ecclesiasti- 
cal usage, was heard at Alexandria with surprise. Al- 
though no affront was said to be intended, Demetrius never- 
theless conceived it, as any one would, to be a direct insult 
offered to himself, and the consequence was, that Origen 
was once more recalled, to answer for his conduct. As 

* Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 23. 



O R I GE N. 195 

soon as his mission was accomplished, and not before, he 
hastened to return. By this time, the leaven began to 
work. The anger of Demetrius became intense. No 
explanation could appease it. From being one of his best 
friends, he was suddenly transformed into one of his bit- 
terest foes ; and the very thing which was formerly com- 
mended in him as an. act of unparalleled devotion, was 
now tortured into one of the keenest shafts of malevolence 
and abuse. Everything that his malice could invent, or 
his envy could incite, was heaped upon the head of this 
poor Presbyter, in order to cover him with disgrace. In- 
stead of overlooking his offence, or punishing him, as he 
deserved, he raised such a prejudice against him, that 
Eusebius says, he had him first banished from Alexan- 
dria, by a decree of a Synod, A. D. 231, and then, not 
satisfied with this, he had him degraded from the Priest- 
hood shortly afterwards, by another Synod, and publicly 
excommunicated from the Church ; while the Bishops 
who ordained him were loaded with every sort of calum- 
ny and abuse. With such untiring bitterness was Origen 
pursued, that not merely his worst enemies, but some of 
his best friends, were induced, by the representations of 
Demetrius, to sanction the proceedings. And yet there 
were many who regarded him as an injured man, inso- 
much that, notwithstanding he had been cast out of the 
Church, and degraded from the Ministry, he continued to 
exercise its duties, and to preach as he was wont. The 
Clergy, as well as the Laity, especially at Cesarea, com- 
bined still to honour the man who had done so much for 
the interests of religion and the good of mankind. 

The storm which was thus raised against him, made his 
stay at Alexandria a source of unmingled suffering and 



196 THIRD CENTURY. 

distress. Indeed, it compelled him, almost immediately, 
to leave his native city, and retire into Cesarea, where 
his fortunes had been so suddenly reversed. ' There he 
opened a school, similar to that which he had just aban- 
doned, which was honoured with the patronage and pre- 
sence of some of the first men of the age. Among these, we 
might name Theodorus, commonly called Gregory Thau- 
maturgus, and Athenadorus his brother, both of whom, after 
remaining with him five years, returned to Pontus, the 
country of their birth, and were immediately raised to the 
Episcopate, on account of their superior piety and worth. 
Theoctistus also, and Alexander, Bishop of Jerusalem, 
did not disdain to become his pupils, although they held 
such exalted stations in the Church, and even went so 
far as to commit to his entire charge the instruction of 
their people.* Firmillian, too, the Bishop of Cesarea, in 
Cappadocia, often invited him to go over into his See 
and preach to his flock. Indeed, everywhere the fame 
of Origen was so great, that almost the whole Christian 
world looked upon him as by far the most profound 
scholar and accomplished divine anywhere living. 

While Origen was thus engaged in teaching and preach- 
ing the Gospel at Cesarea, in Palestine, he enjoyed the 
confidence and esteem of Juliana, a lady of great wealth 
and distinction in that city, at whose house he found a 
most hospitable abode. It was during his residence in 
the family of this pious and excellent woman, that he 
composed his celebrated work upon Martyrdom, the ob- 
ject of which was, to counsel and support those who were 
called upon to suffer death, so fearfully and quick, under 
the reign of Maximinus, A. D. 235. 

♦ Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 37. 



OR I GE N. 197 

Taking advantage of the opportunity which was afford- 
ed him in this quiet and seasonable retreat, he apphed 
himself to the composition of another work, which he had 
long since devised. This was none other than the col- 
lecting and collating of all the different editions and ver- 
sions extant of the Old Testament Scriptures, and then 
arranging them opposite to each other, chapter for chap- 
ter, verse for verse, with the original Hebrew as the stand- 
ard. When completed, it formed, properly speaking, 
three distinct works, called the Tetrapla, the Hexapla, 
and the Octapla, because it embraced four, six, and eight 
different versions, in as many different columns. Thus, 
for instance, the first volume contained the Hebrew text; 
the second, the same text in Greek characters ; the third, 
the Greek version of the seventy ; the fourth, the version 
of Aquila ; the fifth, that of Symmachus ; the sixth, that 
of Theodosius ; the seventh, a copy found at Jericho, 
called the fifth edition ; and the eighth, another found at 
Nicopolis, generally denominated the sixth edition. This 
was the first Polyglot Bible that had hitherto appeared. 

The object which Origen had in view in the compila- 
tion of this celebrated work, was not to gratify some in- 
ordinate thirst for praise or popular applause, but to have 
an answer ever ready for the Jews, who contended, that 
the passages generally quoted against them in debate, 
were not so in the Hebrew original. Here it could be 
seen at a glance, whether it was so or not ; for not only 
was every version set in order, one against the other, but 
every chapter and verse, so that the whole could be easily 
compared, and any error detected. The idea certainly 
was a noble one ; the undertaking perfectly stupendous, 
and admirably calculated to subserve the end for which 



198 THIRD CENTURY. 

it was designed. And yet, strange to say, such was the 
indifference with which it was received by the great ma- 
jority of men, that this enormous work was literally ne- 
glected and buried beneath its own greatness for many 
years. The truth is, it was too ponderous and expensive 
to be of much general value. When this was perceived, 
the author was prevailed upon to reduce the size of it, and 
of course, the expense, by subtracting some two or more 
of the versions ; but even then, the demand was so limit- 
ed, that the only perfect copy extant was lost for more 
than half a century after his death ; and, incredible as it 
may seem, the only copy in existence was deposited for 
safe keeping in one of the libraries at Tyre, where it was 
finally burnt by the Arabs in their desolating march, 
A. D. 653.* 

Thus perished, not only one of the greatest wonders, 
but one of the greatest monuments of literary zeal which 
the labour of man has ever achieved. The mere frag- 
ments of this great work, amount, as Montfaucon has 
compiled them, to two volumes folio ! Large as this col- 
lection seems to be, it is nothing scarcely in compari- 
son with what it was ; for we are told by competent judges, 
that the work originally contained at least fifty volumes 
folio ! To execute such a work, must have required the 
patience and perseverance of one who might well be call- 
ed Adamantius, especially when we reflect that it cost 
him twenty-eight years of laborious study to complete 
it.f No wonder it was denominated for ages " Opus Ec- 
clesise," that is, the Work of the Church, although it was 
executed by a man whom a portion of that very Church 

* Home's Introduction, vol. 2, p. 176. t Ibid. 



O RI GE N 



199 



had cast out, and hunted Hke a beast. And yet, under 
all these untoward circumstances, he was enabled, by the 
blessing of God, not merely to prepare this, but many 
other works, insomuch that Eusebius affirms, that " to 
give anything like a minute account of them would re- 
quire a separate and distinct volume !"* 

In addition to this, much of his time was taken up in 
confuting the Heretics of the day. Thus, for example, 
when Berillus, Bishop of Bostra, denied the divinity of 
our Saviour, asserting, that before his incarnation, he 
had no proper subsistence, no proper Deity, but was only 
a derivative Deity, like a spark from the Godhead, Ori- 
gen was invited into Arabia, by the special desire of its 
Bishops, in order to confute him and set him right.']' 
Ever ready, he immediately accepted the invitation, and 
after great difficulty, at length succeeded in reasoning 
the heretical Bishop out of his errors, and of restoring 
him to the fellowship of the Church. 

About this time also, Celsus, a celebrated Epicurean 
philosopher, wrote a book against Christianity, filled with 
the foulest blasphemy and abuse. Nothing like it, per- 
haps, has ever appeared. Indeed, its character was 
such, that it could not pass unnoticed. All felt that it 
required an answer, and yet no one ventured to attack 
it, until Origen came out with his work, entitled " The 
True Doctrine," in which he perfectly demolishes the vile 
and ffimsy production of Celsus. This is said to be the 
very best of all his writings. And although, amidst the 
ravages of time, almost all the rest have perished, yet it 
is a remarkable fact, that this one still remains to attest 

* Lib. 6, chap. 32. f Ibid. 



200 THIRD CENTURY. 

the ability and power of its author. Unfortunately, how- 
ever, it is still enveloped in a language which few, com- 
paratively, are able to understand. Indeed, it is aston- 
ishing, that among all the translations which literary men 
have produced for the benefit of the public, from the 
writings of the Fathers, this one, which is spoken of so 
highly, should have rehiained to this day a perfectly seal- 
ed book. The time is not far distant, we trust, when 
some one will dare to break the seal, and show us the 
treasure. 

The admirable success which crowned the efforts of 
Origen, on these and similar occasions, acquired for him 
the highest reputation for religion and learning ; so that, 
wherever dissensions or heresies arose in the Church, he 
was sure to be invoked to come and interpose in its be- 
half. No man was better qualified. For he was so com- 
pletely master of every point in debate, on either side, 
that not only his friends, but his very adversaries, among 
whom were some of the chief Heretics of the age, were 
astonished beyond measure, and confessed themselves 
driven from their ground by the masterly defences which 
he made. And, as an evidence of their sincerity, instead 
of retiring as they came, merely to spread discord and 
confusion wherever they went, they retired as friends, 
pledging themselves, from henceforth, to defend the truth, 
and nothing but the truth, as he had represented it to be, 
in Jesus Christ our Lord. 

The singular ability and eminence of Origen, however, 
excited the envy and rage of many against him, and 
especially such as were inimical to the faith. Accord- 
ingly, as soon as the persecution under Decius broke out, 
Origen, now far advanced in life, with multitudes of 



O R I GE N. 201 

others, was seized and cast into prison. Here he display- 
ed a fortitude worthy of his better days. Old as he was, 
he had no fear, no misgivings of heart. Although he 
was thrown into a loathsome dungeon, loaded with chains, 
and an iron collar put upon his neck ; although he was 
doomed to have his feet separated in the stocks, four holes 
asunder, for many days together, a punishment incon- 
ceivably severe ; although he was threatened with fire, 
and tried with all manner of torments, and so continued, 
by the command of his judges, till life was almost gone, 
in order to crush his haughty spirit ; yet it was all to no 
purpose. None of these things moved him, and, like the 
great Apostle to the Gentiles, he could say, " Neither 
count I my life dear unto myself, if so be, I might finish 
my course with joy, and the Ministry which I have re- 
ceived of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the 
grace of God."* 

How long he remained in this deplorable condition, it is 
not certainly known ; but it is generally supposed, that he 
effected his escape in some wonderful, or, as some say, 
in some miraculous manner. Weak and emaciated, as 
he was, however, by these repeated distresses, he did not 
relax his exertions, but spent his time chiefly, after his 
escape, in comforting those who were labouring under 
any kind of affliction ; visiting them day after day, night 
after night, without fail ; writing innumerable letters to 
his friends, and a thousand other things of equal tender- 
ness and love, until about three years after the Decian 
persecution had subsided, when, strange to say, he died 
a natural death, in the city of Tyre, at the advanced age 

* Acts XX. 24. 



202 THIRD CENTURY. 

of seventy, A. D. 254.* There his mortal remains were 
entombed, in the ancient Church of St. Sepulchre, where, 
tradition says, a marble monument, adorned with gold 
and precious stones, was erected to his memory. 

Thus lived and died, the famous and indefatigable Ori- 
gen. Take him all in all, he was the most extraordinary 
and gifted man the world has ever seen. That he had 
his faults, no one will pretend to deny. He was human, 
and therefore prone to err, "as the sparks fly upward. "f 
The loftiness of his genius did not protect him ; the vast- 
ness of his learning did not save him from being carried 
about like other men, by " philosophy and vain deceit.":]: 
Indeed, many of his opinions, in regard to matters of 
faith, were foolish and dangerous to the last degree. In- 
terspersed as they were, throughout his numerous works, 
under the cover of his mighty name, he did much to cor- 
rupt the minds of men, and to turn them aside from the 
simplicity of Gospel truth. His allegorical and mystical 
mode of interpreting the Sacred Scriptures, introduced 
disorder and confusion into the Church of Christ, from 
which it has never yet recovered. For the impress of 
his fancies was so fascinating and great, as not only to 
leave an indelible stain upon the minds of men in the 
age in which he lived, but in every succeeding age, and 
will, in all probability, be transmitted through every com- 
ing age, till time itself shall be no more. 

And yet it cannot be denied, that he was a man of the 
highest ability and power, of surpassing attainments, of 
unequalled diligence and zeal, of irreproachable morals 

* Euseb. lib. 7, chap. 1. t Job v. 7. 

t Col. ii. 8. 



OKI GEN, 203 

and virtue, of invincible patience and courage ; but 
withal, modest, meek, and humble, as a little child. In 
the language of another, we may safely say, that " had 
the greatness of his judgment been equal to the immen- 
sity of his genius, the fervour of his piety, his indefatiga- 
ble patience, his extensive erudition, and his other emi- 
nent and superior talents, all encomiums must have fall- 
en short of his merits. Yet such as he was, his virtues 
and his labours deserve the admiration of all ages ; and 
his name will be transmitted with honour through the 
annals of time, as long as learning and genius shall be 
esteemed among men."* 

From the writings of this distinguished Father, we 
propose now to make a few extracts, in order to show 
what were the standing Orders of the Ministry in his day. 
If they shall be found, upon examination, to coincide 
with those already quoted, there can scarcely remain a 
doubt, but the Three Orders were established in the 
Church, not only of Alexandria, but in every other Church 
which Origen visited, or knew anything about. So far 
as learning is concerned, surely no one will feel disposed 
to deny but that he was perfectly competent to testify in 
regard to this matter ; and then, again, so far as his in- 
tegrity is involved, no one can refuse to believe, that 
whatever he says may be relied upon, with entire confi- 
dence of its truth, because his veracity, as a writer, has 
never been impeached. 

Now then, we find it written in his twentieth 

HOMILY ON ST. LUKE. 
1. "If Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is subject to 
* Critica Biblica, vol. 3, p. 509. 



204 



THIRD CENTU RY . 



Joseph and Mary, shall not I be subject to the Bishop, 
who is of God ordained to be my Father ? Shall not I 
be subject to the Presbyter, who, by the Divine vouchsafe- 
ment, is set over me ?" 

2. " Being twice married excludes from ecclesiastical 
dignities : for one that is twice married can neither be 
Bishop, nor Presbyter, nor Deacon." 

HOMILY ON EZEKIEL. 

3. " Every one shall be punished according to his de- 
gree. If the Supreme Governor, i. e. the Bishop, offends, 
he shall have the greater punishment. A Layman will 
deserve mercy in comparison of a Deacon, and a Dea- 
con in comparison of a Presbyter." 

HOMILY ON ST. MATTHEW. 

4. " There is a necessity that we should depress the 
opinion of those who esteem themselves highly, because 
brought up under parents, or progenitors, who had attain- 
ed to that dignity in the Church as to sit on the Bishop's 
throne, or to have the honour of Presbyters or Deacons, 
(to minister) to God's people." 

HOMILY ON PRAYER. 

5. " Besides these, (alluding to the debts mentioned in 
the Lord's Prayer, as common to all Christians,) there is 
a debt peculiar to such as are widows, maintained by the 
Church. And there is a debt peculiar to the Deacons, 
and another peculiar to the Presbyters ; but of all 
these peculiar debts, that which is due by the Bishop is 



OKI GEN. 205 

the greatest. It is exacted by the Saviour of the whole 
Church ; and the Bishop must suffer severely for it, if it 
be not paid." 

REMARKS. 

1. It is hardly worth while to detain the reader with 
any remarks upon these extracts. They speak for them- 
selves. No language can be plainer than this, in refe- 
rence to the fact, that Three Distinct Orders of Ministers 
prevailed in the Church at the time when these passages 
were penned. Neither are we left to conjecture what 
those Orders were, for they are mentioned by name, in 
every paragraph save one, thus : Bishop, Presbyters and 
Deacons. Now, unless these were Orders of the Minis- 
try, perfectly separate and distinct, we confess ourselves 
wholly unable to divine what they were. To say that 
Origen means to speak of one and the same Order, by all 
these names, or perhaps of two, instead of three, is ab- 
surd, when they are not only called " dignities,'' but *' de- 
grees ;" proving, beyond all question, that these Minis- 
ters occupied stations one above the other, the chief of 
whom is styled " the Supreme Governor," and his seat, 
" the Bishop's throne." 

2. If this be so, it is manifest as anything can be, that 
Origen was not a Bishop. Great as his talents and 
acquirements were, he is over and over again called a 
Presbyter, and nothing but a Presbyter. So he was or- 
dained by Theoctistus at Cesarea ; so he was received at 
Alexandria upon his return ; so he was deposed by an 
Egyptian Synod ; and so he was known wherever he 
went. By no other name was he ever afterwards distin- 
guished, except by the simple one of " Origen, Presbyter 

— - ,_ _ _ 



206 THIRD CENTURY. 

of Alexandria." In short, his own words prove this most 
amply, where he says, in his Homily on St. Luke, " If 
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is subject to Joseph and 
Mary, shall not I be subject to the Bishop, who is of God 
ordained to be my Father ?" And yet there are multi- 
tudes, in our day, who contend that a Bishop and a Pres- 
byter were the same thing in the Early Church, and 
although known promiscuously by these different appel- 
lations, yet that they sustained the same rank precisely. 
3. But how, we would inquire, does this notion agree 
with the passages just cited, in which the Bishop is al- 
ways placed ^5f, and distinguished from the Presbyters, 
by being a single individual, while they are many ? Nay, 
more, why is the Bishop called the " Supreme Governor," 
if Presbyters are not in some sense inferior 1 Is it be- 
cause the former is the chief Pastor or Minister of the 
flock, while the latter are his assistants, in the govern- 
ment of the Church ? If so, then the supremacy of the 
former would be no supremacy at all, unless there were 
grades or orders among the Clergy ; or, in other words, a 
difference between a Bishop and his Presbyters. But this 
is expressly denied by those who advocate the parity of 
the Clergy, and hence, it is affirmed by such, that a 
Bishop and a Presbyter are equal in all respects. Now, 
if this be so, why is there still a distinction made be- 
tween a Preaching Presbyter' or Bishop, and Ruling 
Presbyters or Elders ? Is this a distinction without a 
difference, or not ? If not, then we would ask, why the 
former is invested with full powers to preach and adminis- 
ter the sacraments, while the latter are not ? Why is it 
that the former is considered a Minister in every sense, 
while the latter are really Ministers in no sense, being 



O R I G E N . 207 

merely representatives of the congregation, or Laymen 1 
If there be not a difference here, not only in dignity and 
power, but in office and gifts, then we confess we know 
not what should constitute a difference. It matters lit- 
tle by what names they are called, if the one is a Minis- 
ter and the other a Layman, no sophistry can make us 
believe that they are anything else. 

4. But where do we find any thing like this, in the min- 
istry of the Early Church ? Was it thus at Alexandria ? 
Was it thus at Jerusalem? Nay, was Origen a mere 
Layman ? or was he a real Minister, and yet not a 
Bishop ? The whole history of his life is before the 
reader, let him decide for himself. What say ye ? Is it 
not manifest, that he was ordained by the Bishop of 
Cesarea, " the supreme Governor" of that Church, and 
not by any inferior Governors or Presbyters, as a Presby- 
ter, and only as a Presbyter, and as such not only yielding 
obedience to his Bishop, but preaching the Gospel con- 
tinually? Certainly, no one can doubt it. But where, 
let me ask, is a Presbyter or Elder, on the Presbyterian 
plan, to be found in any Church, in subjection to a 
Bishop, or Pastor, who either before or after his ordina- 
tion, has the liberty or power to preach ? Unless he be 
a regular Assistant Minister, no Presbyterian Elder, out 
of the Eldership attached to the Church, exercises any 
such power. He is merely a Layman, and nothing more, 
from first to last. And hence we are inevitably led to 
this conclusion, either that the Presbyterian form of 
Church Government is different from what it once was, 
or that Elders are deprived of rights under it which 
they formerly enjoyed. At all events, it is sufficient for 
us to say, that the ministry of the Primitive Church is 



208 THIRD CENTURY. 

differently cdtistituted from that which the Presbyterians 
now have. In short, that they have net the Three Apos- 
tolic and Divine Orders of the Ministry, which the Church 
had when Origen served at her altars, in the capacity 
of an Elder, with power to preach and administer the 
sacraments, in subjection to his Bishop. The polity of 
the Church, therefore, instead of being Presbyterian, was 
Episcopal. 

5. There is another point of view, likewise, in which 
the testimony of Origen may be regarded with more 
than ordinary interest. Every reader is aware, probably, 
that Origen is one of the principal authors relied upon, 
in determining the books which ought to be received 
into the sacred volume, as inspired Scriptures. Indeed, 
he is the very first author who gives us a complete list 
of the Books of the New Testament, and among the first 
to inform us what belong to the Old.* On this subject, his 
testimony is esteemed invaluable, and of course is taken 
by all writers on the Sacred Canon, with almost unlim- 
ited confidence, not only on account of his great learn- 
ing, but unwearied diligence, in procuring authentic and 
genuine copies of all that the Church possessed. Thus, 
for example, in a work on the Canon of Scripture before 
us, by the learned and excellent Professor of Theology, 
at Princeton, New- Jersey, the venerable Archibald Alex- 
ander, D. D., we find the following language : " The first 
regular catalogue," he says, " of the Books of the New 
Testament which we find on record, is by Origen, whose 
extensive Biblical knowledge highly qualified him to 
judge correctly in this case. He had not only read 

* Home's Introduction, vol. 2, page 81. 



ORIGEN. 209 

much, but travelled extensively, and resided a great part 
of his life on the confines of Judea,in a situation favour- 
able to accurate information, from every part of the 
Church where any of these books were originally 
published. Origen lived and flourished about one hun- 
dred years after the death of the Apostle John. He was, 
therefore, near enough to the time of the publication of 
these books, to obtain the most accurate information of 
their authors."* In another place, the same writer says, 
" Now when we take into view that Origen lived within 
one hundred years of the time of the Apostles, and that 
he was a person of most extraordinary learning, and that 
he had travelled much through different countries, his 
testimony on this point is of great weight ; especially 
since his opinion is founded on the testimony of the 
ancients, by whom he must mean, the contemporaries of 
the Apostles."! 

This, we admit, is strong language, and full of just 
praise, in reference to the testimony of Origen respect- 
ing the authenticity and genuineness of all the Sacred 
Books. But we should really like to know, why the 
same thing may not be said with equal force in reference 
to the testimony which he gives us, respecting the Three- 
fold Order of the Ministry ? There is no reason, that we 
can see, why it should not. And, therefore, we do adopt 
the same language, word for word, in reference to this 
subject. We think it just as applicable to the one as the 
other. For both are matters of fact : both are things 
concerning which he had every means of obtaining 
accurate; information ; both are things which he could 

* Alexander on the Canon, p. 147. t Ibid. p. 241. 



210 THIRD CENTURY. 

know, just as well as he could know his own existence, 
not only from his own knowledge, and observation, but 
from the testimony of those who were contemporary 
with the Apostles ; and, therefore, we feel constrained to 
say, with Dr. Alexander, that *' his testimony is of great 
weight/' 

6. And now, we would ask, what his testimony is in 
relation to the Ministry of the Church? His testimony 
evidently is, as any child may see, that the Ministry 
contained three distinct Orders^ designated by the appro- 
priate names of Bishop, Presbyters, and Deacons, of 
whom, the former is called the Chief Ruler, or " Su- 
preme Governor." This is what he says. This is his 
repeated declaration, as may be seen in the extracts 
fi'om his works. This is the testimony of a man who 
had every means of knowing, and doubtless did know, 
from the very best authority, even from those who were 
contemporary with the Apostles, the truth of what he 
said. It was impossible for him, in the nature of things, 
to err in reference to this matter. He could not be 
mistaken, living so near as he did the Apostolic age, on 
the confines of Judea, where the Church and Ministry 
were first set up. 

7. Accordingly, we cannot avoid the conclusion, that 
if the testimony of Origen deserves to be regarded with 
so much favour, in reference to the Holy Oracles of God, 
as to determine what shall be received as such and what 
not : with the same propriety and force the testimony of 
the same person may surely be adduced in behalf of the 
Sacred Ministry of the Church ; for if we admit the one 
to be good and valid, so must we admit the other ; but if 
we reject the one, on the same ground we ought to reject 



ORI G E N. 211 

the other. But this we are altogether unwilUng to do. 
and, of course, we take his testimony, and insist upon it, 
that everything which has been said and urged in favour 
of its admission, when brought to sustain the Sacred 
Canon, as we have it, ought to be said, and must be said, 
to be consistent, in support of the Threefold Ministry 
established by our Saviour and his Apostles. For no- 
where has he detailed, with more completeness or exact- 
ness, the genuine Books of the New Testament, than he 
has the Sacred Orders of the Ministry to which we refer. 
This is all-sufficient : this is all we ask ; and if it be 
granted, the point for which we contend is gained beyond 
all contradiction : insomuch, that the whole ground, from 
the times of the Apostles till A. D. 250 at least, is covered 
by the certain and direct testimony of one whose ability 
was unequalled, whose integrity was unquestioned ! 

Here, then, we might rest our cause, and bring the 
matter to a close, were it not that we stand pledged to 
persevere, and see what Cyprian, the celebrated Bishop 
and martyr of Carthage, has to saj in reference to this 
subject. 




CYPRIAN. 



" The lions prowl around, thy grave to guard, 

And Moslem prayers profane 
At morn and eve come sounding ; yet, unscar'd 

The holy shades remain ; — 
Cyprian, thy chief of watchmen, wise and bold, 

Trusting the love of his own loyal heart, 
And Cyprian's master, as in age liigh-soul'd. 

Yet choosing, as in youth, the better part. 
There, too, unwearied Austin, thy keen gaze 

On Atlas' steep, a thousand years and more, 
Dwells, waiting for the first rekindling rays. 

When Truth, upon the solitary shore. 
For the fall'n West, may light his beacon as of yore." 

The Cathedral. 



9* 




VIII. 



C T P H I A N . 



Thascius C^cilius Cyprian was born, as is gene- 
rally supposed, in the famous city of Carthage, towards 
the close of the second century, about A. D. 190. It 
was the misfortune of this man, not only to be an 
African, but a Heathen by birth. Notwithstanding this, 
however, he had received a superior education. For 
Africa was not then, as it is now, involved in the gross- 
est ignorance and superstition ; but, like a well- watered 
garden, it was clothed with the richest verdure and beauty. 
In other words, it was not only blest with all the elegan- 
cies and refinements incident to civilized life, but it was 
favoured also with the light of the everlasting Gospel, and 
all the means of grace. 

Few places on the face of the earth enjoyed greater 
celebrity for rich and splendid structures than Carthage. 
Few possessed greater advantages for the culture of taste 
and genius, of mind and morals ; and few, if any, surpass- 
ed it in the practice of sound religion and virtue. For a 
long time, it was the only city in the world which could 
compete successfully with Rome. Although it was once 
but a mere colony from Tyre, making no greater preten- 
sion to eminence than a small shipping port on the banks 
of the sea, which it was ; yet it arose, as if by magic, 



216 THIRD CENTURY. 

not only to be the capital of the country, but the mistress 
of Spain, of Sicily, and Sardinia ; and if it had not been 
arrested in its career by the desolating fury of the Punic 
wars, we might have added also, " the mistress of the 
world." Suffering, as it did, under these repeated devas- 
tations, and especially under the conquest of Scipio Afri- 
canus, by whom it was binned to the ground, yet still, 
there was such an unconquerable spirit in the people, that 
it soon sprang up again, like a phcenix from its ashes, un- 
der the mild and benignant sway of some of his succes- 
sors ; so that, in the days of Cyprian, Carthage had re- 
covered, in a measure, the most of its former glory. But, 
alas ! it was only for a season ; for in a very little while 
the proud and fearless Saracen took it, and once more 
laid its honour in the dust ; and, henceforth, all that re- 
mained of Carthage was the lustre of its name, except, 
perhaps, some few ruins, which neither the blight of war, 
nor the tooth of time, have ever been able to invade, and 
which, like those of Tadmor and Palmyra in the desert, 
are still the admiration and wonder of mankind. 

In this splendid and renowned city of the West, Thas- 
cius Cyprian was born. Here, too, he was trained up to 
practise all the rites and ceremonies of his Heathen sires. 
Here, too, he was favoured, as to his education, with all 
the advantages that rank and fortune could bestow. Like 
everything else around, that depended on the genius or 
skill of man, it was finished. And hence, he became, 
quite early in life, distinguished for his elegant and clas- 
sical attainments, and being a most accomplished speaker. 
Such was the knowledge and taste which he shortly ac- 
quired, in relation to these matters, that he was actually 
compelled to adopt them as a profession. In this way, 



CYPRIAN. 217 

he passed his time for many years, giving instruction to 
all who favoured him with their presence, so that he ac- 
quired thereby, not only great wealth, but great consid- 
eration. Having naturally a proud and haughty disposi- 
tion, it afforded him the means of indulging it as he chose. 
Of course, every luxury and extravagance that could be 
thought of, were procured, either to decorate his house, or 
to gratify his heart. All he seemed to care for, and live 
for, were " the pomps and vanities of this wicked world." 
Scarcely any man in Carthage could surpass him in the 
splendour of his equipage. And then, whatever else they 
might have, he could always be distinguished by the 
band of servants or clients that followed in his train. 
Royalty itself, could hardly compete with him, while he 
literally rioted in all the unrestrained licentiousness and 
vice so common to the worldling in his day. " 

And yet this same Cyprian was designed by God to be 
a chosen vessel of his grace. By some mysterious provi- 
dence, he became the friend and companion of one Cae- 
cilius, an aged Presbyter of Carthage. Shortly after 
their intimacy began, he was induced, either from mo- 
tives of curiosity or respect, to go and hear him preach. 
The subject happened to be the history of the disobedient 
prophet Jonah ; and such was the interest and power 
which the preacher contrived, to throw into his discourse, 
that Cyprian could not resist the impression.* After 
struggling!; for some time with the depravity and blind- 
ness of his corrupt nature, he avowed himself a convert 
to the faith of Christ, and thus became at once one of 
the most zealous and decided Christians anywhere to be 

* Life and Times of St. Cyprian, p. 11. 



218 THIRD CENTURY. 

found. As an evidence of the gratitude and regard 
which he felt for this signal display of God's mercy, he 
immediately assumed the name of the venerable man 
whose instructions had been blessed to the salvation of 
his soul, so that ever afterwards, he was just as well 
known by the name of Csecilius, as by that of Thascius 
Cyprian. And then, in order to show the deep and thor- 
ough nature of the change that was wrought in him, he 
laid aside his profession as a teacher, from which he had 
hitherto derived so much profit and renown ; disposed of 
all his splendid equipage and estate ; distributed the 
greater portion of his property among the poor ; arrayed 
himself in the coarsest attire ; and lived in the humblest 
and plainest manner possible, insomuch that every one 
was astonished at the sudden and singular change in his 
character and person, while many could scarcely credit 
the evidence of their own senses. But still no one doubt- 
ed for a moment but that Cyprian was sincere.- His holy 
and blameless life was a living testimony to the truth of 
what he was. Indeed, such was the singular purity and 
excellence of all his ways, that he was early singled out 
by his friends as a most suitable candidate for sacred or- 
ders. While passing through his novitiate as a catechu- 
man, he was, of course, ineligible ; but as soon as he be- 
came a member of the Christian Church, by the holy or- 
dinance of baptism, he was forthwith ordained a Deacon, 
A. D. 246 ; and then, shortly afterwards, he was elevat- 
ed to the Priesthood, by Donatus, his Bishop, when he 
was a little more than forty years old, A. D. 247. 

Soon after he had entered upon the duties of this 
high office, he was suddenly, and very unexpectedly, 
elected to fill the place of his lamented predecessor, as 



CYPRIAN. 219 

Bishop of the Church of Carthage, A. D, 248. So rapid 
and wondrous was his progress, that in the space of 
three short years, he had risen from the humblest station, 
to rank among the highest dignitaries of the Church. 
Instead, however, of being elated by his success, he 
immediately declined accepting the honour thus confer- 
red upon him, by the united suffrage of the See, on the 
ground, as he alleged, that he was altogether unfit for 
the discharge of so responsible a trust, beseeching his 
brethren, at the same time, to appoint some other person 
in his place, and to allow him to remain where he was. 
As soon as he had said this, he retired from their midst, 
to bury himself, as it were, in the solitude and peace of 
his own quiet home. Captivated as they were, by the 
extreme humility and disinterestedness of the man, the 
Laity, as well as the Clergy, were still more impressed 
with the idea of his entire fitness for the work, and be- 
came so solicitous for his acceptance, that they beset his 
house, night and day, like a besieging host, and never 
intermitted, till they had actually compelled him by their 
entreaties to come out, and accept the proflfered post ! 

Scarcely had the newly elected Prelate received his 
commission, and entered upon the duties of his office, 
than a terrible persecution broke out, under the inhuman 
sway of Decius. It was in this same persecution that 
Origen suffered so cruelly at Alexandria, as we had 
occasion to show in our notice of that Father. It was 
not confined, however, to this or that place; but every- 
where it raged with unexampled fury, and especially at 
Carthage, because the Christians of that city had given 
particular umbrage to the Emperor, by their resistance of 
his decrees, respecting the worship and glory of their God. 



220 THIRD CENTURY. 

Situated as Cyprian was, it was impossible for him to 
escape the resentment of the State. For, independent 
of his offence against the authority of its Head, his 
eminent piety and worth made him an object of particular 
dislike. At once, Caecilius Cyprianus was proscribed by 
name all over the city and country. The same messen- 
ger which carried this unwelcome intelligence to his 
ears, conveyed also the news, that the only little pro- 
perty which he had saved from the wreck of his estate, 
was confiscated ; and in order to increase the burden of 
his woes, it was positively ordered that no one should 
harbour either his person or his goods, upon pain of 
instant execution. No sooner was this summary mode 
of procedure announced, than the people seemed to 
catch the spirit of their chief, and clamored for his 
blood. Wherever they assembled, the death of Cyprian 
was the constant demand. The circus not only, but the 
amphitheatre, every day resounded with the cry, " Cy- 
prian to the Lions ! Cyprian to the Lions ! " 

Perceiving the imminent danger to which he was ex- 
posed, by his continuance in the city, Cyprian thought 
it most advisable to retire — not, however, for the purpose 
of avoiding his inevitable fate, but simply for the purpose 
of saving the Church from utter ruin and distress. Thus, 
for example, in the very first epistle which he wrote to 
his clergy, after his departure, he explains his conduct 
by saying, "I salute you, dearest brethren, being, through 
God's blessing, in safety ; and I would that I might soon 
obtain permission from heaven, and find fitting occasion 
to return to you, both to your joy and my own. For what 
would both my pleasure and spiritual interest point out 
as the best place for me, but that in which the providence 



CYPRIAN. 221 

of God made me a Christian ? But however trying it 
may be to remain still separated from you, it is my first 
duty to promote the peace of the community, and to 
remain here ; lest my return should excite the rage and 
malice of the Gentiles, and I, who ought to consult peace 
in all that I do, should become the chief occasion of 
violence." * 

As might have been foreseen, he was assailed for this, 
with all the rancour and bitterness which the disappointed 
rage of man could invent. Not only did the Heathen 
assail him, from every quarter, as a. mean, cowardly fel- 
low, but Christians, and we are sorry to add, no less 
personages than the dignified clergy of Rome, in their 
Letters to the Church of Carthage, and even to himself. 
The answer which he returned to this insolent attack 
upon his character and conduct as a Bishop, contains 
one of the most delicate rebukes ever penned ; while it 
vindicates his own unsulHed dignity and fame in the 
gentlest and happiest style. For it would seem from 
this, and other records, that it was customary for Bishops 
to retire under circumstances like the present, in order 
that they might spare their flocks from destruction. So 
did Dionysius, the Bishop of Alexandria, at that very 
time,f and so did Gregory, Bishop of Neocesarea, who 
went so far as to say, that he did it by an express reve- 
lation from Heaven. With these and similar examples 
before him, Cyprian thought that he was perfectly ex- 
cusable for the course he had taken, and especially when 
his object was not to save himself, but his Church, from 
utter wasting and distress. Indeed, this is so apparent in 

* Epis. 7. t Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 40. 



222 THIRD CENTURY. 

all the Letters which he wrote to the Clergy and people 
of his charge, at this period, that we cannot bring our- 
selves to doubt the truth of what he says, after reading 
the effusions of his soul.* 

It was during this absence that some of the Lapsed 
were received again to the fellowship of the Church, by 
certain Presbyters of his own, upon the urgent recom- 
mendation of the Confessors and Martyrs at Carthage, 
without regard to the prescribed penances and forms. 
They were, in fact, urged on in the most indecent and 
hurried manner, to the performance of this act, for the 
purpose, evidently, of creating disturbance in the Church. 
When Cyprian heard of it, he was astonished beyond 
measure, because it was contrary, not merely to his own 
express commands, but his earnest entreaties and prayers. 
Again and again, he addressed them on this subject, ex- 
postulating with them, in the plainest and strongest 
terms, to discontinue their practice ; and when he found 
that this would not answer, he threatened to excommu- 
nicate the whole of them, for their continued and obsti- 
nate resistance of his will. But it was all to no purpose ; 
for they thought themselves perfectly safe, so long as he 
remained in seclusion ; and, therefore, they went on de- 
fying his authority and threats. Those who had the 
effrontery to do this, were among the ablest Presbyters 
of his See. Indeed, six out of the eight, that were attach- 
ed to the Church of Carthage, banded together under the 
disappointed creature, who had once been his rival, for 
the purpose of making him as uneasy and wretched 
as they very well could. Everything that malice or 

* See Epistle X. to the Martyrs and Confessors. 



CYPRIAN. 223 

envy could invent, was done to prejudice the minds of his 
own flock against him, and create a division in the 
Church. The excitement became intense. At length, 
when the crisis was at hand, it was rumoured that Cy- 
prian was on his way home. Novatus heard the intel- 
ligence with surprise, and fearing it might be true, set 
off* immediately for Rome, in order to save the very little 
character and rank which remained to him, from utter 
ruin and reproach. There, he hoped to be cordially re- 
ceived ; but contrary to his expectations, he found mul- 
titudes entertaining directly the opposite views, in re- 
spect to the Lapsed, accounting them not only unfit to 
receive the communion forever thereafter, but denying it 
to them, in the very extremity of their desire, at death.* 
Among those who favoured such views, was a Presbyter 
at Rome, by the name of Novatian. He, too, like No- 
vatus, was a most unprincipled wretch, and a promoter of 
schism. And yet, strange as it may seem, these two 
men, who were so diametrically opposed to each other in 
sentiment, respecting the Lapsed, became, all at once, 
sworn friends. Novatus determined to support Novatian. 
The movement was popular, and it was not long before 
they succeeded in creating a schism, which spread ruin 
and distress every where, for centuries to come. 

Shortly after Novatus left Carthage, the Emperor 
Decius died, and then Cyprian returned from the place 
where he had been concealed one year and four months, 
A. D. 251. As soon as circumstances would permit, he 
invited all the neighbouring Bishops to meet him in 
Council, to take into consideration the case of the 

* See Life and Times of St. Cyprian, by Poole, p. 145. 



224 THIRD CENTURY. 

Lapsed, and adopt some general rules by which they 
should be governed. They met agreeably to his request, 
and one of the first things he did, was to apprise the 
Council that he had received letters from Cornehus, in- 
forming him and them of his election to the Episcopate of 
Rome. Scarcely had the fact been announced, than a 
deputation arrived from Rome, with the news that No- 
vatian, the companion of Novatus, was chosen. Cyprian, 
and all the Council, were taken by surprise. As yet, they 
had no idea of the course that he was pursuing. Al- 
though difficulties were known to exist, no rumour had 
reached Carthage of a schism in the Roman Church. 
And hence, when they were assured that Novatian was 
elected Bishop of that See, and not Cornelius, as they 
had every reason to believe, they were altogether in doubt 
what course to pursue ; whether to acknowledge the for- 
mer and reject the latter, or, on the contrary, to reject 
the former and proclaim the Episcopate of the latter, as 
their custom was, upon the receipt of such letters. The 
Council was divided, as well as surprised, at the novelty 
of the occurrence. In this dilemma, however, they were 
not destined to remain long ; for just as they were de- 
bating the matter, two of their own number, who had 
been present at the ordination of Cornelius, returned 
and gave an account of everything they saw. Their 
testimony was confirmed, too, by the arrival of other 
messengers whom Cornelius had despatched with special 
letters to Cyprian, detailing all the facts. When the 
Council heard these explanations, they were perfectly 
satisfied who was entitled to the Episcopate of Rome ; and 
hence, it was unanimously resolved, not to countenance 
for a moment the pretensions of Novatian, but to advise 



CYPRIAN. 225 

the messengers to return and do all in their power to 
promote unity and peace. And in regard to the Lapsed, 
it was decreed that they should be received again into 
the bosom of the Church, upon their giving satisfactory 
evidence of deep and hearty contrition, and not altogether 
excluded from the sacrament of the body and blood of 
our Lord. 

When the news of this decision reached Rome, Cor- 
nelius called together a Council of the neighbouring 
Clergy, at which Eusebius says,* " there were present 
sixty Bishops, tind many more Presbyters and Deacons^'' all 
of whom concurred in the views expressed by the Coun- 
cil of Carthage, with respect to the Lapsed, with the ad- 
ditional decree, as their duty was, of excommunicating 
Novatian and all his adherents from the communion of the 
Church, for their late schismatical attempt to impose a ri- 
val Bishop upon that See. About this time, another Coun- 
cil was called at Antioch, consisting of all the Eastern 
Bishops, who, in like manner, approved of the sentiments 
and decrees already detailed. In this way, the Heresy 
of Novatian, and the case of the Lapsed, were finally 
settled, as if by acclamation. 

Upon the return of Caldonius and Fortunatus, two 
Bishops who had been despatched to Rome by the late 
Council of Carthage, to learn whatever they could con- 
cerning the schism of Novatian ; another Council was 
convened in the following year, A. D. 252, and then, 
after hearing their report, it was unanimously resolved to 
pursue the same mild and gentle course, in reference to 
the Lapsed, as they had hitherto done, while they as 

* Lib. 6, chap 43. 



226 THIRD CENTUKY. 

cordially approved of that which Cornelius and his as- 
sociates had taken, in reference to Novatian and his 
friends. And, instead of resting here, they gave an ex- 
ample to the world, of the clean, unsparing discipline 
which was exercised in those days, of cutting off at a 
stroke, Felicimus, the Deacon, and the five Presbyters, 
hitherto noticed, who were concerned with Novatus, at 
Carthage, in admitting the Lapsed to communion, and 
sowing dissension in the Church, contrary to the re- 
peated protestations of their Bishop. Thus fearlessly and 
openly did this early assembly of rulers come to the aid 
of a Bishop, and stand by him in the discharge of his 
duty, whenever any of the Clergy dared to rise up in re- 
bellion against their lawfully constituted head. 

While these things were going on, one of the most 
dreadful plagues ever known, broke out and traversed al- 
most the entire world. Scarcely a town or a hamlet 
escaped : for, " there was not a house, where there was 
not one dead." Every street in Carthage was literally 
choked up, with unburied corpses. Indeed, there were 
very few persons left, equal to the labour of performing 
the many offices that were required. 

Under these awful circumstances, Cyprian called to- 
gether his Clergy and people, and after delivering to 
them one of the most spirited and pathetic addresses on 
the subject of charity to our neighbour, that ever fell from 
the lips of a mortal, they all united, with one heart and 
one mmd, not only in administering to the wants of the 
dying, but in endeavouring to clear the streets of those 
who had perished, forsaken and unblest. For this one 
act, they obtained, as they deserved, the lasting gratitude 
and praise of men. Even their enemies, their persecu- 



CYPRIAN. 227 

tors and maligners, were struck dumb by the bold and 
magnanimous spirit which they evinced, for the calami- 
ties of the lost. It made an impression upon the Heathen 
mind, which was not speedily erased, and, perhaps^ was 
one means, under God, of their ceasing to persecute a 
people, who could treat their worst foes with such un- 
equalled tenderness and regard. 

As soon, however, as the plague subsided, and men 
began to breathe a little more freely, a question arose in 
some part of the Western Church, respecting the Bap- 
tism of Infants ; whether it should be performed on the 
third or fourth day after their birth, as the custom had 
been, or defer it till the eighth day, according to the an- 
cient Jewish rule in reference to circumcision, in the 
place of which it was. Fides, an African Bishop, in opposi- 
tion to the general practice of the Church, maintained 
with considerable asperity and zeal, the latter opinion. 
The subject, although of little importance, seemed to at- 
tract a good deal of attention. Many of the Prelates 
were arrayed against each other, in defence of one or 
the other of those days. At length, Cyprian, who was 
ever fond of peace, stepped in between the disputants, 
and had a Council called of sixty-six Bishops, at Attica, 
A. D. 253 ; and there, after considerable discussion, it 
was resolved, that Baptism ought not to be deferred to 
any particular day, but that it ought to be administered 
as soon as convenient after- the child was born. Thus, 
in a letter which Cyprian wrote to Fides, probably at the 
request of the Council over which he presided in the 
capacity of Primate, he says, " As to the case of infants, 
of whom you said, that they ought not to be baptized 
within the second or third day of their birth, and that the 



228 THIRD CENTURY. 

ancient law of circumcision should be so far adhered to, 
that they ought not to be baptized till the eighth day, we 
were all of a very different opinion. We all judged that 
the mercy and grace of God should be denied to none. 
Our sentence, therefore, dearest Brother, in the Council, 
was, that none by us should be prohibited from Baptism, 
and the grace of God, who is merciful and kind to all."* 
The question before this early Council was, not whether 
infants were fit subjects for Baptism, or rather, no sub- 
jects at all, as the Baptists contend ; but whether they 
ought to receive that holy ordinance on the eighth day, or 
any other intervening day after their birth, as the cus- 
tom of the African Church had hitherto been. Surely no 
one will have the hardihood to say, after such an ex- 
press declaration to the contrary, by at least sixty-six 
Bishops, that infant Baptism was not the practice of the 
early Christian Church, so far as Africa is concerned, 
A. D. 253. 

Shortly after this, another Council was called by Cy- 
prian, at the request of the Spanish Bishops, with the 
view of determining what course should be pursued in 
relation to Basilides and Martialis, two of their own 
number, who had fallen away during the late persecu- 
tion, and still retained their places. This Council, 
which is said to have been composed of thirty-seven 
BishopSjf was unanimously of the opinion, that they 
ought to be deposed from the ministry, and never again 
restored, not even to lay communion, except upon the 
most satisfactory evidence of contrition. 

* Life and Times of St. Cyprian, p. 308. 
t Burton's Ecc. Lee. vol. 2, p. 351. 



CYPRIAN. 229 

The last, or the last but one, of all the Councils in 
which Cyprian presided, was summoned soon after this, 
to consider the question, whether persons who had been 
baptized by Heretics should be received into the Church, 
without a repetition of that rite. This was a delicate 
point to touch, about which much diversity of opinion 
prevailed. And yet, after mature deliberation, it was 
unanimously decreed, that ail such persons should 
receive Christian Baptism from the hands of a lawfully 
ordained minister : and this, instead of being a novelty, 
which had just took its rise, was solemnly asserted 
ever to have been the practice of the African 
Church.* 

The Bishop of Rome, however, and some others, dis- 
liking the decision of this Council, because it was con- 
trary to their practice, began to abuse Cyprian and all 
his associates in the most outrageous manner, insomuch 
that another Council was immediitely summoned by St. 
^Cyprian, at which eighty-seven Bishops were present, 
when the whole subject was again considered, and, as in 
the other case, it was unanimously decreed, that those 
who had been baptized by Heretics, should be rebaptized 
before their admission to the communion of the Church, 
declaring in the most explicit terms, that all such bap- 
tisms, if baptisms they could be called, were unlawful 
and invalid, and, of course, ought not to be allowed. 
Here, too, was another important principle settled by this 
branch of the early Catholic Church, which it had been 
well for the Church in all ages had she been more careful 
to maintain. True, the Church of Rome, depraved as 

Poole's Life, &c. p. 333. 
10 



230 THIRD CENTUKY. 

she is, has the courage to maintain it now, against the 
sarcasm and abuse of almost every other Church ; and 
we trust she may hold on. Formerly she stood alone in 
her opposition to the practice, now she stands almost 
alone in favour of it, as a beautiful specimen of a Church 
that never changes in its course ! C(;rtain it is, that while 
others have changed, she has changed too. So far she 
happens to be right now. How long it will continue, 
God only knows : but we trust, that her practice in this 
respect will be followed, till every child not only, but 
every adult, which has been brought into the Church by 
Lay,, Baptism, or, indeed, by any other Baptism, than 
that administered by a regularly authorized minister, 
will be pronounced unbaptized, because it is inconsistent 
with the usage of one of the most pure and venerable 
branches of the Catholic Church ! 

Scarcely had this Council closed its sittings, than As- 
pasius Paternus, the Pro-consul of Africa, ordered Cy- 
prian to appear before him. When Cyprian came, he 
stated that he had received an order from the Emperor 
Valerian, requiring all persons who professed any other 
than the religion of the state, which was idolatry, to de- 
mean themselves accordingly, or take their chance. 
And then telling him, that he must have an immediate 
answer, he asked him which he would do — sacrifice to 
the gods, or adhere to his Faith ? Cyprian replied, by 
saying, " I am a Christian, and a Bishop : I acknowledge 
no other Gods, but one only true God, who made Heaven 
and earth, and all that is therein. This is He whom we 
Christians serve, to whom we pray, day and night, for 
ourselves and for all men, and for the happiness and 
prosperity of the Emperors." And is this, then, thy 



CYPRIAN. 231 

resolution ? said the Pro-consul. " That resolution," 
replied the martyr, which is founded in God, cannot be 
altered." Are you ready then, said Paternus, accord- 
ing to the edict of Valerian and Galiienus, to be exiled 
to the city of Curubis ? " I am ready," said Cyprian. 

As soon as the Pro-consul had thus received the pro- 
fession of Cyprian, and appointed the place of his banish- 
ment, he endeavoured to extort from him the names of 
his Presbyters : for, said he, my commission extends 
not only to the Bishops, but also to the Presbyters of 
your party : I ask you, then, who are the Presbyters in 
the city? The Bishop replied, '* Your laws have well 
provided against the abuse of informers : in obedience to 
them, I refuse to betray my brethren ; they may be 
found, however, in their own places." But, I well know 
who they are now, and in this place, said Paternus. 
Cyprian replied, " It is equally contrary to the discipline 
of their order, and to the spirit of your laws, that they 
should expose themselves unforced: yet they may be 
found by you, if you do but seek them out." Paternus 
then said, They shall be found out : for I have com- 
manded that none shall hold assemblies any where, nor 
enter your cemeteries ; and if any venture to disobey this 
wholesome provision, they shall suffer death. The only 
answer Cyprian deigned to make was, " Obey the orders 
which you have received." 

Immediately the command of Paternus was obeyed, 
and Cyprian was on his way to Curubis, attended by 
Pontus his Deacon. It was a delightful place, standing 
on a Peninsula within the Lybian sea, not far from Pen- 
tapolis, and only about forty miles from Carthage. Here, 
he was allowed every liberty and comfort consistent with 



232 THIRD CENTURY. 

his state, and contrary to the usual custom, was treated 
not only with marked attention and respect, but was al- 
lowed the privilege of constant and unrestrained inter- 
course with his friends. All this was exceedingly grate- 
ful to his heart, and did much to mitigate the burden of 
his lot. 

But still his exile was far from being wearisome or 
void. For he was constantly occupied in writing letters, 
either to his Church and friends, or in preaching the 
Gospel to the Heathen. Indeed, there seems to have 
been a peculiar providence in this, as well as in many 
other cases of a like character, that wherever the pro- 
scribed Bishops were sent, instead of spending their 
time in idle regrets and tears, which could effect no pos- 
sible good, they were constantly allowed the privilege of 
making known the glad tidings of salvation to every one 
they chose. It was, doubtless, the means under God of 
carrying the Gospel into parts where it had never been 
known, had it not been for the persecuting spirit of the 
times. And thus, what seemed at first to the eye of man 
peculiarly distressing, was attended with the happiest 
results. Men, eminent for their piety and Worth : nay, 
the master minds of the Church were sent forth to rear 
the standard of the cross, and to carry the light of the 
Gospel into the darkest corners of the earth. There, the 
pure, unadulterated word, not only was proclaimed by 
such ; but a living example was exhibited, modelled after 
that word, entirely in conformity with it. So it was in 
the case of Clement of Rome, and so it was in the case 
of Cyprian. Thus, no greater benefit could have been 
conferred upon Curubis, than the presence of such a 
man. And we doubt not, when the secrets of all hearts 



C Y P E I A N . 233 

shall be revealed, it will appear that many souls were 
given him as seals of his ministry, which will rise up 
in the judgment of the great day to bless God that Cy- 
prian was banished to that benighted, but beautiful 
abode. 

He was not allowed, however, to remain long in that 
situation. Indeed, he had a presentiment that his exile 
would be short. For the very first night of his stay at 
Curubis, Pontus tells us in his hfe of St. Cyprian, that he 
had a vision which seemed to indicate both the time and 
the manner of his death, so that he was frequently in 
the habit of saying to his friends, that he should probably 
be beheaded in the course of a year. Whether his 
anticipations were realized or not, we shall presently 
see ; but it is a fact worthy of note, that before the ex- 
piration of that time, he was recalled from his exile by 
Galerius Maximus, who had succeeded Paternus in the 
Pro-consulship of the state. But still this was not done, 
for the purpose of showing him any particular lenity or 
favour ; but simply for the purpose of having him at 
hand, whenever the occasion should require. Here, then, 
he found himself once more at Carthage, after an ab- 
sence of eleven months, occupying his own beloved 
home. Sweet and precious as it was, there was still 
something gloomy about it. The very trees seemed to 
wear the livery of the tomb. In addition to this, the 
whole aspect of the times indicated the approach of some 
terrible catastrophe. One day while he was meditating 
upon these silent and admonitory tokens of his fate, 
an edict from iYxe Emperor arrived, in which it was 
decreed, that all persons of whatever character or 
station in life, and especially the Clergy of the Church, 



234 THIRD CENTURY. 

should be required to do sacrifice, or suffer unto 
death.* 

When this edict was received at Carthage, Galerius, 
the Pro-consul, had gone to Utica, for the benefit of his 
health. There, however, the Bishop was cited to ap- 
pear ; but choosing rather to suffer at Carthage, if he 
must, in the midst of his own people, he refused to com- 
ply, and by some means made out to seclude himself 
until the Pro-consul should return. As soon as he did 
so, Cyprian appeared at home. There he awaited his 
summons, in calm and dignified composure. At length, 
it was sent. Although it was not unexpected, yet he 
was finally taken by surprise. For, one day as he was 
walking in his garden, musing upon the uncertainty of 
life, two officers of the court suddenly appeared and car- 
ried him off in a chariot to a place called Sextus, about 
six miles distant, where Galerius was staying. Here 
he was put under guard, and conveyed to the Palace of 
the Pro-consul, who remanded him for trial on the 
following day. 

All Carthage was in an uproar when the news of Cy- 
prian's arrest was made known. Multitudes of all ages 
and ranks, lined the road to S x us. In a few hours it 
was full of Christians. Around the house, especially, 
where Cyprian was confined, dense masses were collected 
of his own afflicted people. There they stood, it is said, 
all day, weeping and praying for their beloved one. 
Neither did the watches of the night disperse them, be- 
cause they were as immovable as a rock. Cyprian was 
apprized of their condition, but he was tranquil and 

* See Cyprian's eightieth Epis. to Successus. 



CYPRIAN. 235 

serene. At length, when the day dawned, the last that 
ever dawned upon the mortal eyes of this dear saint, he 
was led forth once more as a lamb to the slaughter, 
amidst the cries of a myriad tongues. It was too early 
for business. Gallienus had not yet appeared in the 
Praetorium. Weary and faint, Cyprian was told to be 
seated. Availing himself of the offer, he waited patiently 
the hour when Galeriiis Maximus should resume his sta- 
tion on the throne. In a little while he came, attended 
by a crowd, and when Cyprian was arraigned, he said, 
" Art thou Thascius Cyprian ?" Cyprian answered, " I 
am." " Art thou he," said Maximus, " who hath borne the 
highest offices of their religion, among the Christians'?" 
" Yes," answered the Bishop. " The most sacred Em- 
perors have commanded that you offer sacrifice," said 
the Pro-consul. " I will not offer sacrifice," replied 
Cyprian. " Be persuaded," said he, " for your own 
sake." Cyprian replied, " Do thou as thou hast re- 
ceived orders; for me, in so just a cause, no persuasion 
can move me." 

The Pro-consul seemed rather inclined to desist, but 
after consulting with his comrades, he pronounced the 
following sentence, with emotion. " Thou hast long 
lived," said he, " in impiety, and hast made thyself the 
centre of a band of pestilent conspirators ; thou hast 
acted as an enemy to the gods, and to the sacred laws of 
flome ; neither the pious and most august princes, 
Valerianus and Gallienus, nor the most noble Caesar 
Valerian, have been able to recall you to a dutiful ad- 
herence to their rehgion. Since then, thou art convicted 
as the author and instigator of so many iniquities, thou 
shalt become an example to those whom thou hast 



236 THIRD CENTURY. 

seduced : the authority of the laws shall be vindicated by 
thy blood." After these words, he pronounced the fol- 
lo^ying sentence, which w^as written upon his tablet, say- 
ing, "I WILL THAT Thascius Cyprian* BE beheaded."* 

The only reply which escaped the venerable Bishop 
was, *' Thanks be to God, who is pleased to set me free 
from the chains of this body ;" while the crowd of 
Christians who surrounded him, as if moved by one com- 
mon spirit, instantly exclaimed, *' Let us be beheaded 
with him." It was a sublime and generous impulse, 
well worthy the cause and the occasion that gave it 
birth. Such an instance of devotion and heroic regard 
for the interests of another, is almost without a parallel 
in the history of men ; and yet fully verifying that re- 
markable passage of St. Paul, where he says, " that 
scarcely for a righteous man will one die ; yet, perad- 
venture, for a good man some will even dare to die." ]' 
Here it was evinced in all its majesty and truth. 

And yet the muttered prayer of these heroic ones came 
forth unheeded from their lips. All the Magistrates or 
the Heathen cared for, v/as the single death of him who 
had just received his sentence. And this they lost no 
time in effecting. For he was immediately taken into 
an opeu field, in the vicinity of the palace, where a vast 
crowd had assembled to witness the result. After allow- 
ing him to put off his upper garments, or Episcopal Robes, 
and to offer up one short prayer, upon his bended knees, 
to the Father of Mercies, he stood up in the calm and 
dignified attitude of one who had '* had power with God, 
and prevailed."! The executioner was almost petrified at 

* Life and Times of St. Cyprian, p. 416. t Uom. 5, 7. 

X Gen. 32, 28. 



CYPRIAN 



237 



his appearance ; but the venerable Bishop, with a sweet 
and benignant smile, entreated him to do his duty. And 
then, after tying a bandage over his own eyes, and pla- 
cing his hands behind him in a position to be bound, by 
one of his Presbyters named Julian, and a Deacon, who 
were present, he declared himself ready. In a moment 
the head of Cyprian was severed from his body ! 

Not a word was uttered. The vast crowd stood mo- 
tionless till the blood began to flow upon the ground ; 
and then the effort seemed to be spontaneous to save it 
from mingling with the dust. Handkerchiefs were 
steeped in it by all his numerous friends, and preserved 
as relics too precious to be lost. In doing so, it was 
astonishing how they could be so reckless ; for each one 
acted as if no danger was at hand. Although it is evi- 
dent they might have been proscribed or taken on the 
spot, still no one seemed to heed, but gathered round the 
lifeless corpse as it lay exposed all day in the sun, and 
then took it up by permission of Galerius and buried it 
by night, on what was called " the Mappalian Way." 
There, in that frequented place, and also where he fell, 
the people of Carthage afterwards built two churches of 
great magnificence and size, to commemorate the glo- 
rious memory of Thascius Caecilius Cyprian, who fell a 
Martyr, at the age of 65 or 70, A. D. 258. 

Cyprian is said to be the first Bishop of Carthage that 
ever wore a martyr's crown. If this be so, it is rather 
remarkable, when we take into view the many and vio- 
lent persecutions of the day. And yet he was a host — a 
perfect Holocaust by himself. No man could have been 
selected who possessed so much moral excellence as he : 
no man occupied a higher place in the affections of his 



238 THIRD CENTURY. 

fellow men : no man wielded greater influence or greater 
power than he, among the dignitaries of the Church, and 
certainly no man exercised ft with greater lenity and 
skill. From his first entrance upon the Christian life, 
he took a high stand. That stand he never lost. Whe- 
ther we consider him in reference to his superior piety or 
prudence, or wisdom, the same lofty and noble bearing 
always marked his course. If he was not one of the 
ablest, as some affirm, he was certainly one of the 
purest and best of men. No writer, we believe, has 
ever dared to lisp a word against his veracity or vir- 
tue. All seem to be actuated by one spirit, in pro- 
nouncing him to be without a fault in either of these 
respects. 

In adducing his testimony, therefore, in reference to 
the Ministry of the Church, we feel that we are quoting 
the writings of a man who certainly may be relied upon 
with entire confidence. Besides, it is manifest, not only 
from his extensive correspondence, but from his position 
in the councils of the Church, that he was perfectly 
famihar with every thing appertaining to her character 
and ways. Indeed, it was impossible, in the very nature 
of things, that it should be otherwise. Cyprian surely 
did know what sort of a Ministry there was, just as well 
as he knew his own existence, or else he never could 
have penned such language as we find in many of his 
works. Thus, for example, when he had arrived at his 
place of refuge, he sat down and wrote to his Clergy a 
long letter respecting the manner in which he would 
have discipline maintained in his absence. Not having 
the letter by me, from which to quote, the following 
abstract is given from Poole's Life of Cyprian. It is 



CYPRIAN 



239 



numbered, as all his Epistles are, to distinguish them 
from each other, according to their date, thus : 

EPISTLE Y. 

1. "Having acknowledged the good providence of 
God in his present security, he exhorts his Clergy to 
give the greater diligence to the affairs of the Church ; 
since his part in them had now devolved on their man- 
agement ; and since the state of Carthage, and his own 
office, more obnoxious to popular vengeance, permitted 
not his return. He then beseeches them, if possible, to 
restore all things to peace and quietness ; and he sug- 
gests a present rule of conduct to this end, that the 
Presbyters whose office it was to visit the confessors in their 
prisons should not crowd about them in too great numbers ; 
but that they should go separately, each attended with 
his single Deacon ; that the attention of the Heathen 
might not be arrested, nor their suspicions needlessly 
excited ; that the Priests might not he debarred their duty 
in administering the Holy Eucharist to their imprisoned 
brethren, nor they be deprived of the privileges of com- 
munion : ' for we ought,' says he, ' as servants of God, 
to adapt ourselves to the present times, meekly and 
humbly ; to concert means of quiet, and to have respect 
even to the feelings of the people.' " * 

EPISTLE XII. 

2. "Since summer," says he to the same Clergy, 
" has already commenced, which is a season abounding 

* Life and Times of St. Cyprian, p. 83. 



240 THIRD CENTURY. 

with serious sickness, I think that some indulgence ought 
to be granted to our brethren, and that those who have 
received letters of communion from the martyrs, and 
may hope through their privileges to be accepted by God, 
if they are seized with any grievous and dangerous ill- 
ness, may make confession of their fault before any 
Presbyter who may he present, without waiting for my 
return; or, if a Presbyter cannot be found, and death 
seems near at hand, before a Deacon, so that by imposi- 
tion of hands, in order to their pena.nce, they may ap- 
proach the Lord in that peace of the Church which the 
Martyrs would have bestowed upon them by their letters. 
The rest of the people, also, who have fallen, I would 
have you support by your presence, cherishing them with 
appropriate encouragement, that they may not entirely 
fall away from the faith and from the mercy of the 
Lord : for they who in meekness and humility, and true 
penitence, persevere in good works, will not be so for- 
saken by the gracious help of the Lord, as not to be 
partakers of the mercy of God." * 

EPISTLE V. 

3. *' I regret to hear that some of you, (speaking of 
some confessors,) actuated by pride and impudence, em- 
ploy yourselves in exciting discord ; and they cannot be 
governed by the Deacons or the Priests ; but so demean 
themselves that the illustrious splendour of many and 
excellent confessors is tarnished by the disreputable man- 
ners of a few. Such persons ought to dread, lest they 

* Life and Times of St. Cypri,an, p. 109. 



CYPRIAN. 241 

should be expelled from the society of the good, being 
condemned by their testimony and judgment. For he 
is the truly illustrious Confessor for whom the Church 
has not to blush afterwards, but in whom she still glories. 
As for that which my brother Presbyters, Donatus and 
Fortunatus, Novatus and Gordius, have written to me, I 
have been able to answer nothing alone ; since I have 
determined, from the beginning of my Episcopate, to do 
nothing by my private judgment without consulting you, 
and without the consent of the people. But when God 
shall permit my return, we will determine what ought to 
be done together, as our mutual dignity demands." * 

EPISTLE IX. 

4. " I have long foreborne, dearest brethren, to inter- 
pose in this affair, hoping that my silence would rather 
tend to the peace of the Church ; but now, since the 
rash and hasty presumption of some threatens to disturb 
the honour of the Martyrs, the modesty of the confessors, 
and the peace of the whole body of the people, I can 
remain silent no longer, without danger to the Church 
in general, as well as to my own authority. For what 
danger may we not anticipate, when some Presbyters, 
forgetful both of the Gospel and of their place, and 
slighting both the judgment of God which is to come, 
and his Bishop now placed over them, arrogate to them- 
selves the sole authority, with an unprecedented impu- 
dence. And I would that the injured Church were not 
a sufferer by their arrogance. The insulted dignity of 

* Life and Times of St. Cyprian, p. 119. 



242 



THIRD CENTURY. 



the Episcopate I could overlook and bsar, as I have often 
done, but now there is no place for forbearance, while the 
brethren are being led astray by some of your body, who 
endeavour to win upon the Lapsed by their groundless 
pretences of restoring them to the peace of the Church, 
and, in fact, cajole them to their ruin. The very Apos- 
tates know that they have committed the most heinous 
offence. . . . For these things the anger of God is ex- 
pressed against us night and day. For not only in visions 
of the night are we reproved, but young children, moved 
by the Holy Spirit, recount to us, day by day, those 
rebukes which the Lord will have to be uttered against 
us. Of these things I will give you a more particular 
account when the mercy of God shall restore me to my 
Church; meanwhile, if those among you who act so 
rashly and proudly, with such forgetful ness of thsir duty 
to man, and of their fear to God, still continue such a 
perverse conduct, I am determined to put forth that power 
with which the Lord hath endued me, and to suspend 
them from their ojice until they may be heard and judged 
before me, and before the Confessors themselves, and the 
whole body of the Church." * 

EPISTLE XL. 

5. " God is one, and Christ is one, and the Church 
one, and there is one Episcopal chair, founded on a rock 
by the word of the Lord. It is impossible that any altar 
can be erected besides the one altar, or any new Priest- 
hood added to the one Priesthood. Whoever gathers 

* Life and Times of St. Cyprian, p. 122. 



CYPRIAN . ''^43 

from other sources, scatters. Let no one, dearest bre- 
thren, induce you to wander from the ways of the Lord. 
Let none snatch you, who are Christians, from the Gospel 
of Christ. From the Church let none separate the sons 
of the Church. They who will perish, let them perish 
alone. They who have seceded from the Church, let 
thrm alone remain without the Church. They who have 
rf^belled against the Bishops, let them alone be separated 
Irom the Bishops."* 

EPISTLE LXIX. 

6. " The Bishop is in the Church, and the Church in 
the Bishop; they who are not with the Bishop, are not 
in the Church ; and they miserably deceive themselves 
who, not maintaining communion with the Bishops of 
God, think cunningly to insinuate themselves into the 
Church, by communicating with certain others ; whereas 
the Church, which is one and Catholic, will not endure 
separation and schism, but is united and consolidated 
through all its parts by the cement of an united Episco- 
pate." t 

EPISTLE III. 

7. " Cyprian to his Brethren the Presbyters and 
Deacons of Rome. Health ! 

"When there was an uncertain rumour, dearest Bre- 
thren, among us, of the departure of that excellent man, 
my colleague,! and we were doubtful what to think, I 

* Life and Times of St. Cyprian, p. 187. 

t Ibid, p. 190. Ad, Pupianus. t Fabian, Bishop of Rome. 



244 THIRD CENTURY. 

received your letters at the hands of Crementius, the 
Sub-deacon, by which I was fully informed of his glo- 
rious exit ; and I was exceedingly rejoiced, that the honour 
of its close was worthy of 'the integrity of his administra- 
tion. I congratulate you very highly, because you per- 
petuate his memory in so illustrious a testimony ; so that 
through you, I am acquainted with the splendid reputa- 
tion of your Bishop, and an example of faith and virtue 
is thus afforded me. For the fall of a Bishop is not 
more pernicious as an example of defection, than his 
fidelity is useful and salutary for the imitation of his 
Brethren. ... I wish you, dearest Brethren, continued 
'health." * 

EPISTLE LXXII. 

8. Writing to Stephen, Bishop of Rome, he says, " By 
common consent and authority, dear Brother, we tell you 
farther, that if any Presbyters or Deacons, who have 
been either ordained before in the Catholic Church, and 
have afterwards turned perfidious and rebellious against 
the Church, or have been promoted by a profane ordina- 
tion, in a state of schism, by false Bishops and Anti- 
christs, against our Lord's institution : that such, if they 
should return, shall only be admitted to lay-communion. "f 

EPISTLE LX X. 

9. In this Epistle, which was written to Successus, 
Cyprian states that " Valerian had directed his rescript 



* Life and Times of St. Cyprian, p. 90. 
t Bowden's Works, vol. 1, p. 50, 



CYPRIAN. 245 

to the Senate, in which it was decreed that Bishops, 
Priests, and Deacons, should be condemned by a sum- 
mary process ; but that Senators, and other men of noble 
rank, should be deprived of their dignity, and should for- 
feit their goods ; and that, if they still persisted in the 
Christian faith, having already forfeited the privilege of 
rank, they too should be capitally punished. That the 
possessions of matrons should be forfeited, and themselves 
banished ; and that any of the officers of the Royal 
household who either then professed, or had professed 
before the name of Christ, should suffer fme and confisca- 
tion, and be sent in chains to the imperial possessions." * 

REMARKS. 

1. Here is a body of evidence, surely, in relatioii to this 
subject, perfectly conclusive. More, perhaps, than we 
need, to establish the point in question ; but no more than 
we wish to lay before the reader for his particular benefit 
and use. For the object is, to let him see the passages 
entire, and not mutilated, as they sometimes are. From 
these, what is the inference ? Is it not that there were 
tliree distinct Orders of Ministers every where in vogue 1 
Was it not so at Carthage, for example ?- Does not Cy- 
prian address the Presbyters and Deacons of that city, as 
their absent Bishop, again and again? Does he not pre- 
scribe rules for their conduct in visiting the long array of 
Confessors in their prisons'? Docs he not give them 
direction how to proceed in case any of them were 
seized with any grievous and dangerous illness ? Nay, 
does he not mention ybwr of these Presbyters by name,\ 

* Life and Times of St. Cyprian, p. 409. \ Epis. 5. 



246 THIRD CENTURY. 

and intimate that they had proposed for his decision some 
difficult question in reference to the Lapsed, which he had 
refused to answer, simply because it was a delicate point, 
and one which he did not choose to determine, without 
first consulting with them and his people, as he had 
hitherto done, ever since he held the Episcopate of their 
Church ? Certainly, these are plain matters of fact, 
which every reader may see can be answered only in the 
affirmative, to wit, that Cyprian was Bishop of Carthage, 
with four Presbyters at least, and as many Deacons, to 
assist him in the discharge of his duties. 

2. Admitting this to be the case, a question may arise 
respecting the ministerial powers of the latter ; that is, 
whether these Presbyters and Deacons were Ministers in 
the proper sense of that word, or only Lay Officers. 
Now, in reference to this point, we think there can 
hardly be a doubt, when it is remembered " that the office 
of Presbyters was," as Cyprian says, "to visit the con- 
fessors in their prisons; and that they might do this 
without suspicion, he advises them not to go in large 
numbers, but to go separately, attended by a single Dea- 
con, in order that they might not be debarred their duty 
in administering the Holy Eucharist to their imprisoned 
Brethren ;" And in case of emergency, or any danger- 
ous illness, he informs them that persons in this situation 
may make their confession to a Presbyter, without wait- 
ing for his return ; but if a Presbyter could not be ob- 
tained in time, and death was inevitable, a Deacon might 
receive it, so that " by imposition of hands, in order to 
their penance, they may approach the Lord in that peace 
of the Church which the martyrs would have bestowed 
upon them by their Letters." Here, then, is ample evi- 



CYPRIAN. 247 

dence to show that thess Preshyters and Deacons were 
real Ministers of God, inferior to the Bishop, because 
they dispensed not only the Word, but the Sacrament of 
our Lord. Accordingly, they were not Layman, as the 
Presbyterians contend. 

Thus, for example, in their Confession of Faith, where 
the Government of the Church or the Constitution of its 
Ministry is described, it reads as follows, viz. 

CHAPTER V. 

OF RULING ELDERS, 

'* Ruling Elders are properly the representatives of the 
people, chosen by them for the purpose of exercising 
government and discipline in conjunction wish Pastors 
or Ministers. The office has been understood by a great 
part of the Protestant Reformed Churches, to be desig- 
nated in the Holy Scriptures by the title of Govern- 
ments ; and of those who rule well, but do not labour in 
the word and doctrine.^^ 

CHAPTER VI. 

OF DEACONS. 

" The Scriptures clearly point out Deacons as distinct 
officers of the Church, whose business it is to take care 
of the poor, and to distribute among them the collections 
which may be raised for their use. To them, also, may 
be properly committed the management of the temporal 
affiiirs of the Church." 

4. There is not one word said here respecting *' Rul- 
ing Elders, or Presbyters, and Deacons, having any 
ministerial powers, such as preaching the Gospel and ad- 



248 THIRD CENTURY. 

ministering the Sacraments, but expressly the reverse ; 
for it is asserted, " they do not labour in word and doc- 
trine," and, moreover, that the former are only lay assist- 
ants to the Pastor or Minister, in the Government of the 
Church, while the latter are mere almoners to the poor, 
or stewards of the funds. It is not necessary, therefore, 
to prove that, in the estimation of Presbyterians at least, 
Ruling Elders and Deacons, as distinct from Pastors or 
Bishops, have no proper ministerial powers, and are no- 
thing more nor less than Laymen, " representatives of 
the people," because this is conceded in so many words. 
Now, if this be so, we need not add what is so apparent 
to every reader, that the constitution of the Ministry 
among the Presbyterians is entirely different from the 
representation given of it in the Epistles quoted above ; 
nay, that its character is altogether peculiar, when we 
come to contrast it with that described in the New Tes- 
tament, for there we learn that Elders not only, but 
Deacons, laboured in word and doctrine, as the Elders of 
Miletus evidently did, and Phihp the Deacon in Samaria, 
with others ; so that now, instead of belonging to an 
order or orders of the ministry, we see that they are de- 
prived of these orders by Presbyterians, and pronounced 
to be mere Laymen. In a word, it is evident that their 
form of Church Government is a very different affair 
fiom what St. Cyprian describes, and makes everywhere 
in his Letters to consist of tliree distinct Orders, viz. 
Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons. Whether the Pres- 
byterians, and all others who harmonize with them, have 
instituted a new form, or retained the primitive one, for 
which they contend, we leave every candid reader to 
determine for himself. 



CYPRIAN. 249 

5. In addition to this, the tone, the bearing, " the au- 
thority," which Cyprian assumes in writing to his Pres- 
byters and Deacons, is utterly inconsistent with the view 
which the Presbyterians adopt. Take, for example, the 
9th Epistle. Every line of that Epistle proves, beyond 
all controversy, that a Presbyter and a Bishop were not 
the same thing, as the Presbyterians affirm, but that they 
were separate and distinct ojicers or grades of office. 
True, indeed, a Bishop was a Presbyter, but a Presbyter 
was not a Bishop. Cyprian, for instance, was not a 
Bishop until he was made such by a distinct ordination. 
Before this he was a Presbyter only, or an Elder. Not 
a " Ruling Elder," or, which is the same thing, a Ruling 
Presbyter, but a Presbyter, a real Minister of the Gos- 
pel, and so continued until he was elevated to the Epis- 
copate of Carthage, in the mode prescribed by the 
Canons of the Church, when he became their Superior, 
their Ruler, their Governor, and, of course, different from 
all the other Presbyters about him. Accordingly, when 
some of them undertook to infringe upon his rights, he 
makes use of the following language : " What danger 
may we not anticipate when some of the Presbyters, 
forgetful both of the Gospel and of their place, and 
slighting both the judgment of God, which is to come, 
and his Bishop now placed over them, arrogate to them- 
selves the sole authority with an unprecedented impu- 
dence :" or, as Dr. Bowden renders it, " What reason 
have we to be afraid of the wrath of God, when some 
Presbyters, neither mindful of their own station, nor re- 
gardful of the Bishop, their superior, are bold to assume 
all to themselves, to the reproach and contempt of their 
superior, a thing never heretofore attempted under any 



250 THIRD CENTURY. 

of my predecessors ?''* " And I would," continues he, 
" that the injured Church were not a sufferer by their 
arrogance. The insulted dignity of the Episcopate I 
could overlook and bear, as I have often done ; but now 
there is no forbearance ; and I am determined to put 
forth tha.t power with which the Lord hath endued me, and 
to suspend them from their office.^^ Now, can any one 
imagine for a moment that Cyprian would write in this 
way, were he only a Presbyter like themselves ? Can it 
be supposed for an instant that he was invested with no 
superior place, or power, or that there were other Pres- 
byters of the same Church, called *' Ruling Elders," who 
had the same place and power 1 Impossible. No man 
can believe it. For the language is such as to preclude 
any other idea than that already given, viz. that Cy- 
prian was their superior both in " dignity," in " author- 
ity," in "station," according to the will of God, because 
these are the very words employed to prove it. 

6. In order to account for this strange language, how 
ever, it has been said that Cyprian acted as the itfod'erator 
of a Presbytery, or as the President of a body of Presby- 
ters who were Ministers like himself, and not Laymen ? 
Now, suppose we admit this absurdity for the sake of 
argument ; and what is the consequence 1 Does it not 
establish a Primacy, and, of course, a difference among 
the Clergy, especially if it be permanent 1 Would it not 
make this Moderator of a Presbytery equal in all respects 
to a Bishop ? Would it not confer upon him authority 
and rank far above his equals ? Would it not invest him 
with dignity and power which no Moderator ever yet 

* Bowden's Works, vol. .l,p. 81. 



CYPRIAN. 251 

possessed ? And would we not look in vain for any such 
Moderator in any single Church, or indeed in any number 
of Churches, under Presbyterian organization 1 Suppose, 
for instance, a Moderator of some Presbytery in the. city 
of New-York should undertake to write, in his absence 
from home, such a Letter as this No. 9 to his aspiring 
brethren in the Presbytery, assuming all the dignity, and 
, bearing, and authority of Cyprian, threatening even to 
suspend them from the Ministry without a formal trial, 
what would be thought of it ? How would it be received ? 
Would it not call forth a burst of indignation which would 
ring like a welkin from one end of the continent to the 
other ? Would it not be denounced, and ridiculed, and 
despised, as well as its author, by the meanest intellect 
in the land, in connection with that body ? But we for- 
bear. Questions like these we need not answer, for while 
they pronounce their own verdict, they vindicate at the 
same time the superiority of that station which Cyprian 
held, not only in the Church of Carthage, but which every 
other Bishop held in his day, over the inferior orders of 
the Ministry. And that, too, not by assumption, not by 
courtesy, not by some adventitious pre-eminence, but by 
Divine appointment, which was not, like the Moderator- 
ship of a Presbytery, transient, changeable, human, as it 
respects the origin of it ; but permanent, unchangeable, 
divine. For the old adage was, " Once a Bishop, always 
a Bishop." 

7. Could such language ever be predicated of a Pres- 
byterian Moderator ? Never, never ; the idea is absurd. 
Such a moderator has never been known to exist among 
them. " The moderator, " says the Book of Discipline,* 

* Chap. 19, p. 387. 



252 THIRD CENTURY. 

" of the Presbytery shall be chosen from year to year^ or 
at every meeting of the Presbytery, as the Presbyters 
may think best." So was not St. Cyprian chosen. 
His ofice was perpttual : his Episcopate was for life. 
For, before he was driven into exile, he held it for two 
years ; daring his absence he retained it nearly two 
years more" and after his return, till the day of his 
death, about six years more, making in all ten years of 
Primacy, or Supremacy, among his Clergy. If he was 
a Moderator, it was worth while being a Moderator then. 
But lo ! such Moderators are rare in these degenerate 
times, at least among those who advocate Moderator- 
ships, and the Parity of the Clergy. 

8. Leaving such, however, to the enjoyment of their 
own system, we proceed to remark in the next place, 
that what was thus true in the relation to the polity of 
the Church of Carthage, was true, also, in relation to 
that of Rome. For it is apparent, that when Cyprian 
wrote to the Presbyters and Deacons of Rome, for the 
purpose of condoling with them respecting the recent 
glorious martyrdom of their Bishop, f whom he expressly 
styles, " my colleague," that the Three Orders of the 
Ministry were established there. And so again, when he 
wrote to Stephen, one of his successors, respecting the 
ordination of Presbyters and Deacons, by schismatical 
Bishops^ the same dignity, rank, order, prevailed then. 
In both these instances, we see that a single Bishop, sur- 
rounded by a numerous body of Presbyters and Deacons, 
composed the Clergy of that Church. How many, it is 
not material to inquire at present : that we shall leave 

I Fabian. 



CYPRIAN 



253 



for future investigation ; but suffice it to say, that the 
number of both these orders, was necessarily large, in 
consequence of the immense amount of duty required by 
the Christians who thronged that city. Indeed, it was 
not only so there, but everywhere throughout the entire 
Roman Empire. A Bishop, and his Presbyters and 
Deacons, were just as common, and just as well defined, 
as the Church itself. 

9. Indeed, this is so manifest from the eightieth Epistle, 
that we cannot imagine how any one can dispute it. 
For there, the reader will perceive, that Cyprian is 
writing to his friend Successus, in relation to the decree 
of Valerian, and, among other things, mentions in par- 
ticular its sweeping denunciation of " Bishops, Pres- 
byters and Deacons," unless they should sacrifice and 
do homage to the gods. These were distinguished by 
name. Nay, these orders were so well authenticated and 
known, that a Heathen Emperor, not only understood 
them perfectly, but wherever Rome had an arm, or law 
could be enforced, she did not fear that any would 
escape, when she hurled her anathemas against these 
sons of the Church ; because she was thoroughly con- 
vinced that these and these only were its lawfully con- 
stituted ministers, throughout the length and breadth of 
her domain. 

10. Taken in connection with the actual state of 
things in the Church, the decree of Valerian may be 
considered as a document of some value in determining 
this question. If every thing else was corrupted to an- 
swer some sinister motive, it is not likely that an Em- 
peror of Rome would engage in such business. When 
he proscribed the ministers of Christ throughout his 



254 THIRD CENTURY. 

realm, he, doubtless, did it, as he knew them and saw 
them, in their daily walks, or in their public ways. 
Scarcely a year passed without a Council being held in 
some part of Africa, or Asia, Italy or Gaul, which was 
attended, not only by Bishops, oftentimes to the num- 
ber of sixty or eighty ; but, also, by multitudes of Prcs- 
hyters and Deacons. Nay, more ; in every city, and 
indeed, in every Parish Church, where Christianity ob- 
tained a foothold, there might be seen the same un- 
varying orders. There was no difference. As there 
was no Church without a Bishop, so there was no true 
Bishop without a Church. Others, indeed, there were y 
but these were intruders, and schismatics, which were 
everywhere denounced. And hence, when the Bishops 
came together in Council, they never came without some 
Presbyters and Deacons in their train, so that if there 
be any truth in history, or any confidence in facts, these 
Three Orders were the only Orders of the Church, come 
whence they might. And could we bring the testimony 
of these men, as we now do their gathering, we believe 
that we could fill volumes in support of the views which 
Cyprian and his peers have expressed in no unmeaning 
terms, in reference to Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons. 
1 1. And now, in bringing this chapter to a close, we 
shall only make a single remark more, and that is re- 
specting the manner in which some professed Christians 
affect to ridicule the theme of this discourse. In their 
estimation, the Threefold Order of the Ministry is a de- 
lusion ; Episcopacy, a matter of expediency ; the govern- 
ment of the Church, something indifferent and not 
worth contending about. And more than this, there are 
those who even go so far as to look with pity or con- 



CYPRIAN. 255 

tempt upon the man, who can spend hi stime in advo- 
cating what he and the Church to which he belongs, 
conceives to be the truth. Be it so. And yet here was 
Cyprian, one of the hohest and most devoted of men, 
wasting his energies in support of this very thing. He 
did not think it beneath him, nor inconsistent with his 
calling, to contend as manfully for the Orders once im- 
posed upon the Church, as for " the faith once delivered 
to the saints." In his estimation, both were derived 
from the same blessed source : both were sacred and 
divine. We approve his judgment ; we honour his 
course. We believe every thing he did and said in re- 
lation to this subject, to be just what it ought to be ; 
that the Ministry of the Church is Threefold and Divine. 
If so, it is a matter of importance to preserve that 
Ministry entire : to guard it from reproach ; to see that 
none shall enter its ranks, or bear the vessels of the 
Lord, with hands and hearts defiled. Let others number 
it, if they will, among the out-works of our religion ; yet, 
be it known and remembered, that if the out- works are 
destroyed, the citadel must fall. 

Let us now proceed to examine the last of those Fa- 
thers, whom we design to notice, and see whether he or 
his writings will sustain the views which Cyprian has 
expressed : — we mean Cornelius, the blessed Bishop and 
martyr of Rome. 



CORNELIUS 



' Unto the East we turn— from the cold bourn 

Of our dull Western cave. Faith's pensive mood 

Sets there her tranced eyelid, gathering food 
Of solemn thoughts which make her less forlorn, 
And back to Apostolic men is borne. 

There, from her evening and dim solitude, 

She joins the companies of the wise and good, 
Who walk upon the Gospel's glorious morn, 

Their dwarf dimensions of mortality 

Seeming to grow upon the golden sky, 
Above the splendours of imperial Rome." 

The Cathedral. 




IX. 

CO.RNELIUS. 

During the earlier lapses of time, embraced within the 
compass of the last chapter, there was a Bishop of Rome, 
by the name of Cornelius. As to where he was born, 
or who were his parents, tradition is silent. Nothing, 
therefore, can be said by us, respecting his parentage or 
birth ; and nothing, of course, in regard to his early 
manhood or pursuits, except so far as to say with others,* 
that he is supposed to have been born and educated at 
Rome, where he became a disciple of Christ and a Min- 
ister of the Gospel. The first notice we have of him is, 
as a Presbyter of Rome, and with Novatian, a fellow 
Presbyter, a candidate for the highest office of the Min- 
istry^ just after the martyrdom of Fabian, the late Bishop, 
and likewise obtaining it, by the almost unanimous suf- 
frage of the Church, over his competitor, A. D. 251. 

Cornelius was a contemporary, as we have seen be- 
fore, of Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, and was, doubtless, 
well acquainted with that illustrious man, if not per- 
sonally, at least by report, and frequent correspondence. 

Indeed, as soon as his election had taken place, Cy- 
prian, as the custom was, communicated the intelligence 



* Bower's Hist, of the Popes, vol. 1, p. 51. 



260 



TH I RD CENTU RY 



to all the Bishops within the bounds of the Patriarchal 
See, over which he presided. In a letter to Antonianus, 
who was one of the number, we find the following ac- 
count of Cornelius, which we shall take the liberty of 
transcribing, because it gives a more authentic and com- 
plete portraiture of the man, than we have been able to 
obtain from any other source. 

" You will more safely," says he, " collect the character 
of this man from the judgment of God, by whose provi- 
dence he fills his present station, and from the unanimous 
testimony of his brethren in the Episcopate throughout 
the world, than from the inventions of mahgnant slan- 
derers. It is not a little in his favour, that he rose not 
suddenly to his present position, but that he has passed 
through all the inferior ecclesiastical orders : and having 
approved himself faithful in the functions of each, has 
noio attained throvgh them all to the Episcopate, the 
pinnacle of Priestly dignity. He sought not, he did 
not desire even this elevation ; still less, like some who 
are inflated with arrogance and self-conceit, did he 
usurp it. With the quiet and modesty which is among 
the usual characteristics of those who are divinely ap- 
pointed to this office, and which accorded well with his 
native humility, and purity, and worth ; he rather yielded 
to force in ascending the throne, than used force, like 
Novatian, to obtain it. With such qualifications, then, 
with the judgment of God, and of Christ, with the con- 
sent of almost all the Clergy, and with the applause of 
the crowd of by-standers, and with the full concurrence 
of assembled Prelates,* Cornelius was made Bishop 

* Fifteen being present and assisting at his ordination. 



CORNELIUS. 261 

when the chair of Fabian, that is, the chair of Peter, and 
the sacerdotal office, was yet unfilled.* 

It was a perilous moment, a time of great hazard, for 
any one to become Bishop of Rome. For the persecu- 
tion was then raging with unabated fury, under Decius ; 
and yet, such was the bold and unshaken character of 
the man, that he consented to be ordained at Rome, with 
the most imposing ceremonies and fetes, that could well 
be devised, in the face of almost instant death. The 
account given of this transaction by Cyprian, is worth 
more than a passing notice, and hence, we present it en- 
tire, in his own impressive words. " So great was his 
courage, and constancy," says the writer, " that he took 
his seat undaunted, at that very time when the tyrant 
was uttering the most malignant threats against the whole 
of the Episcopate : and when he could have endured 
with more patience to hear of a competitor for the purple, 
than of a new Bishop of the Church of Rome. Is he not to 
be numbered with the greatest martyrs and confessors ? 
He who awaited so long and so resolutely the approach 
of executioners and tormentors, braving their vengeance, 
though it should be enforced with fire or the sword, with 
the rack or with the cross ? And though the power of 
God has hitherto protected his servant in his appointed 
elevation, yet so far as peril and devotedness is concerned, 
he has suffered whatever can be inflicted : and thus, in 
his unstained priesthood, he first conquered that tyrant 
who was soon to fall beneath arms in other hands'!"." 

Scarcely had the imposing ceremony of Cornelius's 
ordination been performed, than the flame which had 

« Life and Times of St. Cyprian, p. 147. t Epis. 52. 
__ 



262 THIRD CENTURY. 

been for some time kindling in the breast of one of the 
principal personages present, burst forth like a volcano. 
Novatian, as we have just hinted, was a candidate for 
the honour thus conferred upon Cornelius ; but when he 
found himself foiled in his attempts to obtain it, and now 
saw that all hopes of success had vanished, he raved 
like a madman. Although, indeed, he sometimes pre- 
tended not to feel the least disappointment or chagrin at 
his failure, and even affirmed with an oath, that he 
never had aspired to the Episcopate of Rome ; yet, there 
can be no doubt that this was the secret and earnest de- 
sire of his soul. But whether it were so or not, he now 
saw it was far beyond his reach ; and yet, instead of 
submitting quietly to the almost unanimous decision of 
the Church, as he should have dono, had he been ac- 
tuated by the right spirit, he vented forth the most vile 
slanders against Cornelius, and did everything in his 
power to bring him into contempt with the people.* 

But still, as he was, comparatively speaking, alone 
and unaided, except by a few Presbyters and Confessors 
of Rome, who seem to have been deluded by his arts, he 
could make little or no impression upon the fidelity of 
the public. Cornelius was too well known to be injured 
by any of his abuse. Just then, however, the circum- 
stances which were related in the foregoing chapter, in 
reference to the dissensions at Carthage, about the 
Lapsed, brought Novatus to Rome, a fugitive from 
justice. He soon became acquainted with Novatian. 
They were kindred spirits. That they should consort 
together, and not make trouble, was utterly impossible. 

* Euseb, lib. 6, chap. 43. 



CORNE LIUS 



263 



For, as soon as Novatus learned what was going on at 
Rome, and especially how Novatian felt towards Cor- 
nelius, he advised him by all means to secede from the 
Church, and form a rival community, under the very 
shade of his rival. The idea met his cordial approba- 
tion. And, although they differed fundamentally and 
totally, in regard to their treatment of the Lapsed, which 
was the great subject of contention at the time, the one 
being extremely loose in his notions, while the other was 
just as terribly severe ; yet, no matter, as both were in 
favour of schism and fond of contention, they agreed to 
unite upon the more popular view of Novatian, and thus 
to prosecute their scheme. 

At length, when everything was ready, they despatch- 
ed two desperate characters into some remote part of 
Italy, for the purpose of enticing three obscure Bishops 
from their sees, to aid them in their designs. In this 
they succeeded. Not, however, without some difficulty, 
and after the most solemn protestations that they had 
been sent to bring them in all possible haste to Rome, in 
order to aid their brethren in restoring peace and har- 
mony to the Church. The idea seemed plausible, and 
they concurred. When they arrived at Rome, they 
were received with every mark of distinction and re- 
spect by Novatian and his friends. Without dreaming 
of any treachery or deceit, they allowed themselves to 
be taken and duped in a most iniquitous manner at a 
feast. For while they were eating and drinking jovially 
and free, in all the unrestrained liberty and delight of 
their hearts, they were suddenly overcome by excess. 
The object was attained. The plan was successful. 
And it was no less than the investing with Episcopal 



264 THIRD CENTURY. 

functions, that same Novatian, who had once been the 
pride, as he was now the reproach, of the Church. Im- 
mediately, however, by some short, summary process, 
those who were present succeeded in obtaining the con- 
sent of these drunken Prelates, to impose their hands 
upon his head, and then, pronounced him forthwith to be 
the true and lawful Bishop of Rome ! 

Nothing could have been more truly startling than 
this. The Clergy and people of Rome could scarcely be- 
lieve it. Every body deprecated and deplored it as one 
of the most impious and horrid scenes known. So Cor- 
nelius evidently thought, when he transmitted an account 
of the matter to Fabius, Bishop of Antioch. For, after 
relating the manner in which Novatian had hitherto pro- 
tested against the suspicion of having any wish to ob- 
tain the Episcopate for himself, he says, *' We have 
seen, beloved brother, within a short time, an extraordi- 
nary conversion and change in him. For this most illus- 
trious man, and he who affirmed with the most dreadful 
oaths, that he never aspired to the Episcopate, has sud- 
denly appeared a Bishop, as thrown among us by some 
machine. For this dogmatist, this (pretended) cham- 
pion of ecclesiastical discipline, when he attempted to 
seize and usurp the Episcopate not given him from above, 
selected two desperate characters as his associates, to 
send them to some small, and that the smallest part of 
Italy, and from thence, by some fictitious plea, to im- 
pose upon the three Bishops, men altogether ignorant 
and simple, affirming and declaring that it was necessary 
for them to come to Rome in all haste, that all the dis- 
sension which had there arisen might be removed through 
their mediation, in conjunction with the other Bishops. 



CO RNE L I US . _ 265 

When these men had come, being, as before observed, 
but simple and plain in discerning the artifices and 
villany of the wicked, and when shut up with men of the 
same stamp with himself, at the tenth hour,* when heated 
with wine'^nd surfeiting, they forced them by a kind of 
shadowy and empty imposition of hands, to confer the 
Episcopate upon; him, [Novatian,] and which by no 
means suited^^'to him, he claims by fraud and treachery"-|- 
Such is the melancholy and correct account of this dis- 
graceful and appalling scene, described by onewho surely 
knew it well. 

It was easier, however, far easier"to acquire the name 
than the place of a Roman Bishop. So Novatian 
found it. For, although he resorted to the most ap- 
proved and treacherous devices, in order to gain pro- 
selytes to his cause ; and although he despatched letters 
and messengers in every direction to all the principal 
Bishops of the Church, so that he might have his election 
ratified abroad ; yet, all would not do. Many, indeed, were 
snared and taken by his traps at first, like Fabius, Bishop of 
Antioch, and Antonianus, a Bishop of Africa ; but Cor- 
nelius and his friends were so active and persevering in 
the measures which they adopted, to propagate a true 
statement of the case, that he had little success in ob- 
taining an acknowledgment of his pretensions, and that 
little, so vague and precarious, as to be scarcely worth 
our notice. Few, very few, indeed, paid any attention 
to him. He was accounted too despicable abroad to de- 
serve a moment's consideration. And yet, at Rome, where 
we might expect to find the same or even greater hos- 

* 4 o'clock. P. M. t Euseb. lib. 6 chap. 43. 



266 THIRD CENTURY. 

tility towards him, a different sentiment prevailed. 
There several of the most distinguished Presbyters, to- 
gether with many of the Confessors, whose influence 
was very great, were deluded by his arts and seduced 
from their Bishop. True, many of them afterwards re- 
turned to their allegiance, at the earnest appeal of St. 
Cyyrian,* and made every reparation in their power, for 
the injuries they had done ; while many, very many 
never returned, but continued till the day of their death, 
to widen the breach, by their nefarious practices and 
ways. Nor then was it healed. For centuries after- 
wards, the disaffected of all places and parties in re- 
ligion seemed to rush to its vortex, until it became, at 
length, the veriest sink of corruption, exhaling every 
where nothing but pestilence, blighting, and death. 
Almost all the evils that afflicted the Church, came from 
this source. 

The schism thus made, was denominated the Novatian 
Heresy, after its chief promoter, while his followers were 
called Novatians, or Cathari, the pure, undefiled ones, 
because they advocated such rigid discipline, and prac- 
tised such rare devotion. They were, in fact, the first 
Puritans the world ever saw. That they were entitled 
to this appellation, for the reasons just given, we will not 
presume to deny ; but still, it is a fact worthy of notice, 
that this same word, which has been so much idolized 
and adored by men in modern times, as the distinguish- 
ing name of the " Fathers of New-England," was once 
more cordially hated and despised than the name of any 

* See his Letter to the Confessors, in Life and Times of St. Cy- 
prian, p. 164. 



CORNELIUS. 267 

other sect on record. And that, too, not as we can 
learn, because those who adopted it maintained a severer 
discipline, or practised a purer devotion than others were 
willing to follow ; but because they made these things 
the shibboleth of a party, and the nucleus of dissent. 
Disastrous as this was to the peace and order of the 
Church, they were not satisfied with merely retiring to 
practise and enjoy their self-imposed austerities and 
ways, but they did more. They resorted not only to 
every sort of slander and abuse that the imagination can 
conceive, in order to rend the Church, to raze the Church, 
to ruin the Church, which they had left ; but they made 
themselves so odious, by their haughty, insolent, super- 
cilious carriage towards all those who differed from 
them, that the very name of Puritan could scarcely be 
endured. They not only seemed to feel, but actually 
employed, with every mark of complacency of its entire 
truth, the very language of those who once said, '* Stand 
by thyself; come not near to me ; for I am holier than 
thou." Although ages and ages have passed by since 
these were numbered with the dead, yet we fear it is too 
true that their spirit has passed into other forms. It 
still lives and rankles in the human breast. We will not 
say in the breast of all those who bear their hated name, 
because that would be unkind ; but we do say, that it is to 
be found rankling still in the hearts of all those who hate 
the Church, and revile the Church, on account, as they 
allege, of the impurity, the formality, the lethargy, and 
sloth, that everywhere paralyzes its powers. Well has 
the Almighty said, concerning such, " These are a smoke 
in my nose." 

While the Puritans of old were thus venting all their 



268 THIRD CENTURY. 

malice and spleen against the Church in Rome, Corne- 
lius, on the other hand, was exerting every energy to 
counteract their influence and moderate their ire. All 
his labour, however, was in vain. No prayers, no en- 
treaties, no promises, no threats, could subdue their stub- 
born wills. Never were untamed beasts more incorrigi- 
ble, than Novatian and his friends. At length, when the 
messengers returned, who had been despatched to Car- 
thage with an account of the difficulties at Rome, bring- 
ing with them the news of their reception, and the de- 
crees of the Council, assembled by Cyprian, in reference 
to Novatian and the Lapsed, " Cornelius at once conven- 
ed a Council of sixty Bishops, and many more Presby- 
ters and Deacons,"* for the purpose of hearing their re- 
port, and consulting thereupon, when it was unanimously 
resolved to concur with their brethren in recommending 
mild and merciful measures towards the Lapsed ; while it 
was as unanimously decreed, not only to excommunicate 
Novatian and all his followers from the communion of 
the Church, but those three country Bishops, in particu- 
lar, who had allowed themselves to be duped and snared 
by his arts. *' One of these," says Cornelius, *' not long 
after returned to his Church, mourning and confessing 
his error, with whom also we communed as a layman, 
as all the people present interceded for him ; and we 
sent successors to the other Bishops, ordaining them 
in the place where they were."f Thus, we see that the 
Church was not slow in those days in lopping off" its un- 
worthy members. 
As soon as the news of this transaction reached Antioch, 

* Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 43. t Ibid. 



CORNELIUS. 269 

which was the centre of another Patriarchal See, a Coun- 
cil was called by Fabius, the Bishop, at which most of the 
Eastern Bishops were present, who, in like manner, ap- 
proved the decrees, which both of those respective bodies 
had passed, in reference to Novatian and the Lapsed. In 
this way, these twin troublers, which had been linked to- 
gether by indissoluble ties ever since their birth, and had 
agitated the Church to its very centre, were now cast out 
together, either to lurk among the tombs, like the two de- 
moniacs of old, or to go away among the swine, as they 
wished that they might perish with the swine, in the 
midst of the deep, broad sea.f 

The effect produced by these repeated and decisive 
measures was highly beneficial to the peace and order of 
the Church at Rome. For the promoters of the schism 
saw at once that nothing could be gained there by their 
rash and suicidal course. AH hope of their being able to 
accomplish much at home vanished. They saw that 
their only chance was to agitate in by and distant places 
abroad. Accordingly, Novatus was sent by Novatian 
into Africa, with some others like himself, in order to get 
the claims of Novatian acknowledged to the Episcopate 
of Rome. Most of the Churches, however, were closed 
against them. Scarcely any of the Bishops would com- 
municate with them. Most of the Clergy and Laity 
avoided them like a pestilence. And yet, disheartened 
by no repulse, neither Novatus nor his companions were 
checked in their progress ; but continued to wander to 
and fro, " seeking whom they might devour," by their 
artifice and fraud. To say that they were not success- 

t Matt. viii. 28. 



270 THIRD CENTURY. 

ful in some few instances, nay, more successful than the 
most sanguine could anticipate, would be saying that 
which we are sure is not the truth. Everywhere they 
found enough to favour their base designs. Heresy and 
schism are noxious weeds. They need but little cultiva- 
tion. Any soil and every soil is adapted to their growth. 
So Novatus and his companions found it. For in a very 
little while they succeeded in gathering bands here and 
there. These were dignified with the name of Churches. 
Bishops were consecrated and set over them, from the 
outcast Presbyters and Deacons, whom they met. Thus, 
for example, there were two of this kind in Carthage, at 
one time, under the very eye of St. Cyprian ;* but more 
generally, they were content to leave only one in a 
place. 

Although Novatus and his train were so successful in 
scattering the seeds of heresy and schism, in distant and 
remote places, where the truth was little known, and, of 
course, people were easily betrayed, the state of things, 
as we have said, was vastly different at Rome. But still 
it was not for want of effort, great and untiring effort, 
equal to anything that they had done, and that, too, un- 
der the direction of Novatian himself; but all would not 
do. The cause began to decline. Many of those who 
had allowed themselves to be carried away by the fury of 
the times, soon began to reflect on the folly of their 
course, and return to the bosom of the Church, in the 
greatest agony and distress. And these were not a few of 
the baser sort, but some of the more prominent and nota- 
ble among them. Yea, some of those very Confessors, 

* Maximus and Fortunatus. 



CO KN EL I US 



271 



who were the boast and glory of the Church, and who 
seem to have held, as it were, her very destinies in their 
hands, in consequence of the veneration and regard in 
which they were held. 

That this account is not exaggerated, may be gather- 
ed from the following letter of Cornelius to Cyprian, in 
which all the circumstances are detailed : — " I received," 
says he, " in the first instance, vague accounts of symp- 
toms of compunction, and of a return to a better mind, 
in some of the adherents to Novatian's schism, from per- 
sons of approved integrity, and well-wishers to the 
Church ; and by and by, this report was admirably 
confirmed ; for two Confessors, Urbanus and Sidonius, 
came to our brethren of the Presbytery, and declared 
that Maximus, also a Confessor and a Presbyter, was de- 
sirous of returning with them into the Church ; but since 
many things had occurred which made it imprudent to 
trust too entirely to their good faith, I determined to 
hear from their own mouths the proposal which they had 
sent by others. Accordingly, they appeared before us ; 
and when they had been charged with their criminal con- 
duct by the Presbyters, and especially that they had very 
lately despatched letters full of scandalous and false re- 
ports, to the disturbance of peace and unity through all 
the Churches, they affirmed that they had been deceived, 
and that they knew not the contents of those letters ; 
yet they confessed that they had been implicated too 
deeply in schism and heresy, when they were induced 
to suffer the imposition of hands upon Novatian. And 
when the heinousness of these and the like actions had 
been exposed to them, they earnestly petitioned that they 
might be remitted and forgotten. When this had been 



272 THIRD CENTURY. 

reported to me, / summoned an Assembly of my Presby- 
ters, with whom a]so Jive Bishops were associated, so that 
it might be determined with the consent of all, what 
course should be pursued with the returning Confessors. 
At the close of these proceedings, Maximus, Urbanus, Si- 
donius, Macharius, and several others of the Brethren 
who had joined them, were admitted into the presence of 
the Synod. With earnest prayers, they besought us to 
bury their delinquencies in silence and oblivion, and 
promised, for their part, to present to God thenceforth 
the sacrifice of a heart undefiled, in accordance with the 
evangelical benediction : ' Blessed are the pure in heart, 
for they shall see God.' It still remained to inform the 
people of all these events, that they might see those who 
had been formerly wandering in error established in the 
Church. There was, accordingly, a large assembly of 
the people, and with one voice they rendered thanks to 
God, weeping for very joy, and embracing the restored 
Confessors, as if they had but that instant been liberated 
from prison. As for the confessions of the restored 
brethren, I send you their very words: ' We know that 
Cornelius is a Bishop of the most holy Catholic Church, 
elected by God Almighty, and Christ our Lord. We 
confess our error : we have been deceived ; we have 
been carried away by captious and fraudulent mis- 
representations. For even while We seemed to be hold- 
ing some kind of communion with a heretic and a schis- 
matic, our mind was still faithful to our Church. Nor 
are we ignorant that there is one God, and one Christ 
the Lord, whom we have confessed, and one Holy Spirit, 
and that there should be one Bishop in a Catholic Church.^ 
*' Who," continues Cornelius, " would not, by such an 



CORNELIUS. 273 

acknowledgment, be moved to admit those who had con- 
fessed before the powers of this world, to the full proof 
of their confessions in the Church ? Maximus, therefore, 
we restored to his former dignity ; the rest, we received 
to communion, with the applause of the whole multitude : 
all judgment we committed to God, to whom all judg- 
ment belongs We believe, moreover, nay, are con- 
fident, that others, who are at present involved in the 
same error, will soon return to the Church, when they 
see that their former leaders are again associated with 
us."* 

What a happy, glorious day that would be for the 
Church, could we see the multitudes who have been se- 
duced in like manner from her pale, or who have gone 
out in any other way, returning with equal sorrow and 
regret, to their own forsaken home ! If there be " joy 
in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner that 
repenteth," we believe there would be joy in heaven 
over the repenting and returning of all such, from the 
error of their ways. Sure we are, that there would be 
a jubilee on earth ! God grant that that day may come ; 
that it may come soon, when all the numerous and 
warring sects of earth shall see the folly of their 
course, and shall " fly Hke clouds, and as doves to their 
windows," so that they may be gathered once more into 
one fold, under one Shepherd ! 

It was a happy day for the Church of Rome, when she 
saw her noble Confessors returning thus, to own their 
guilt and seek forgiveness. But while she was rejoicing 
with joy unspeakable over these, what were the feelings 

* Life and Times of St. Cyprian, p. 171, 



274 THIKD CENTURY. 

of Novatian, as he saw one after another of his friends 
stealing back to the Church, and leaving him to his fate ? 
Alas ! how did Novatian feel ? Perhaps no mortal can 
conceive. And yet we may imagine something of the 
utter desperation and despair which must have seized 
upon his mind, when, in order to retain them, he made 
his followers swear, as they received the body and blood 
of our Lord from his cold, trembling hands, that they 
never would forsake him and return to Cornelius ! 

That any man could be guilty of such horrid impiety 
as this, no one could believe for a moment, unless he had 
the most undoubted evidence before him. And, there- 
fore, we shall place before the reader the testimony of 
Cornelius entire, in order that he may read it for him- 
self. It is a thrilling and curious relic of the past, which 
he may like to preserve. After describing the manner 
in which Novatian made the oblation, Cornelius goes on 
to say, " He distributed a part to each one, but while 
giving this, he compels the unhappy men to swear, in- 
stead of blessing ; holding the hands of the one receiv- 
ing with both of his own, and not letting go, until he had 
sworn in these words, for I shall repeat the very words : 
'Swear to me, by the body and blood of our Saviour, 
Jesus Christ, that you will never desert me, nor turn to 
Cornelius.' And the unhappy man is then not suffered 
to taste, until he has first cursed himself ; and instead of 
saying Amen, after he has taken the bread, he says, * I 
will no longer return to Cornelius.' "* 

To such an awful and revolting device did Novatian 
resort, to retain the few deluded and unhappy creatures 

* Euseb. lib. 6, chap. 43. 



CORNELIUS. 275 

that still clung to his fortunes. It has no parallel, we 
believe, on record, and it is only to be matched by a cus- 
tom practised among some barbarous and benighted 
hordes, who prey upon the lives and property of their fel- 
low-men. For it is said, that they, after seizing an in- 
dividual upon the road, and plundering him of everything 
he has, will sometimes let him live, provided he will 
swear eternal fealty to their chief, over the gathered re- 
lics of the dead ! 

When Providence seemed to smile so benignantly 
upon the affairs of this distracted Church, by bringing 
her wanderers back to her pale, to the utter confusion of 
their chief, Felicissimus arrived at Rome, with the intel- 
ligence that Fortunatus had been elevated to the Epis- 
copate of Carthage ; and, furthermore, that twenty-five 
Bishops were present to ratify and confirm the same. 
It may not be improper, perhaps, to remind the reader, 
that this Fortunatus was one of the five Presbyters who 
had recently been engaged in creating a schism at Car- 
thage, under the infamous Novatus, and who, in addition 
to all his other misdeeds, had surreptitiously conferred the 
Diaconate upon Felicissimus, before his departure, with- 
out the knowledge of his Bishop. In this capacity, there- 
fore, he came to Rome, for the purpose of securing the 
acknowledgment of Fortunatus as Bishop of Carthage. 

Here, then, was a case precisely similar to that which 
had formerly occurred upon the ordination of Cornelius, 
when Novatian sent messengers to Carthage to procure 
his acknowledgment to the Episcopate of Rome. It will 
not be forgotten by the reader, how cautiously they were 
heard, nay, how speedily they were repelled by Cyprian 
and his friends. But how was it now ? In what way was 



276 THIRD CENTURY. 

Felicissimus received ? Was the same upright, honoura- 
ble course pursued in this instance, as in the other ? 
The spontaneous reply is, that it was. And so it will 
be seen at the outset, because Cornelius knew full well 
that Cyprian was the lawfully constituted Bishop of Car- 
thage, and that there could be but one Bishop in any Ca- 
tholic Church, without violating all law and order ; but 
it was not long before Felicissimus began to feel provok- 
ed at the conduct of Cornelius, in withholding his assent 
to the ordination of Fortunatus, and even went so far 
as to declare, that if it were not done, he should read his 
letters in public. At this, Cornelius became alarmed, 
and very unwisely wrote to Cyprian, begging to know 
the reason why he had not been made acquainted with 
all the facts of the case, and evidently manifesting a good 
deal of doubt in reference to the subject. As we may 
well imagine, Cyprian was perfectly amazed at the con- 
tents of this letter. He could hardly believe it possible 
that Cornelius would write in this manner. But still he 
replied to him, by recounting, first, all the circumstances 
in reference to his own election, with the evidences upon 
which it was based ; and then, after detailing, in addi- 
tion, all the proceedings in the case of Fortunatus, the 
most of which were not unknown to him before, he ex- 
postulates with him, in the most earnest and caustic 
manner, in regard to his vacillating and time-serving 
course. Indeed, he tells Cornelius, without fear, and 
certainly without the slightest regard to the niceties of 
speech, that a Bishop ought not to listen to the vague 
reports which base and unprincipled renegades might 
bring ; and after reading him a homily on the evil ten- 
dencies of the age, to revile and resist the lawfully con- 



CORNELIUS. 277 

stituted authorities of the Church ; and after describing, 
with inimitable power, the vile and contemptible charac- 
ter of those who had risen up against him, in a variety of 
ways, he concludes by showing that the very fact of 
their going to Rome, and there fomenting strife, by their 
unjust and calumnious reports, and, especially, in seeking to 
obtain a new hearing of their cause, when it had already 
been decided at home by the only competent tribunal, 
was not only criminal, but disastrous to the peace of the 
Church ; and, therefore, instead of being countenanced 
by him, ought not to have been permitted for an instant : 
thus giving us to understand, that the Bishop of Rome 
was, at that time, a person of no more consequence than 
any other Bishop of the Church, and not, as it is now, 
lording it over the whole heritage of God. 

But the times have sadly changed since then. Now, 
the Bishop of Rome presumes to call himself the Bishop 
of Bishops, nay, the Vicar of God, the representative of 
Jesus Christ, and infallible Head of his Church ! What 
arrogance ! what presumption ! what blasphemy for a 
mere mortal, thus to set himself up, not only above his 
fellow-man, but above " all that is called God, or that is 
worshipped ; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of 
God, showing himself that he is God."* This did not 
Cornelius, nor indeed any of those illustrious men who 
held that See in early times. It was reserved for Gre- 
gory the Seventh, and the like, centuries afterwards, to 
place themselves on a level with the Deity, and even 
above Him, in some respects, so that they might testify 
with their own mouth, the truth of what the Apostle fore- 

* Thess. ii. 4. 



27S 



THIRD CENTURY, 



told "respecting" them, ages before a lordliiig Pope was 
seen or known in all the ranks of men ! 

Not long after the circiimslance occurred, which we 
have just related in respect to Felicissimus, and hefore the 
matter was finally adjusted, Decius the Emperor was slain, 
and Gallus assumed the purple in his stead. Bad as things 
were before, they were even worse now, upon the acces- 
sion of this new monster in human shape. Whether 
there w^ere any special reasons for it, other than the gene- 
ral depravity of the human heart, goaded on by the evil 
suggestions of the adversary, we cannot say ; although 
some have supposed, that he was instigated to it, on the 
supposition that a plague which had recently broken out, 
and was raging wath unparalleled violence all over the 
world, was caused by the great indignities which the 
Christians had ofiered to the gods. Of course, we can- 
not vouch for this ; but certain it is, that Gallus all at 
once became infuriate, and instantly ordered all ranks 
and conditions of men to sacrifice, in order to appease 
their wrath. Those for whom it was especially intend- 
ed, paid no regard to the mandate. Not a Christian ap- 
peared before the altar of a god, in all the mighty realm. 
And although every possible device was resorted to, and 
every engine of cruelty invented, that could m,ake men 
quail, and applied with all the ferocity of demons, few, 
very fev/, were found to swerve from the high and holy 
resolve which they had taken, never to yield, whatever 
might betide. One reason why it was so, may possibly 
be the fact, that the Bishops were the chief objects of 
their ire, and especially the Bishops of the larger towns. 
The Bishop of Rome being one of these, and certainly 
one of the most prominent, because he lived in the chief 



CORNELIUS. 279 

city of the empire, within sight of the royal abode, was 
the first to fall under his displeasure. For the man who 
could say, as his predecessor did, that he would sooner 
have " a competitor for the purple, than to see another 
Bishop of Rome," was not likely to have a successor in 
Gallus that would presume to say less. Nor did he. 
Nay, the thought was but the precursor of the deed. 
For almost as soon as the decree was announced, he 
seized upon Cornelius, and sent him off to Centumsellse, 
a small place, now called Cevita-Vecchia, in the vicinity 
of the city. The news of his arrest was speedily made 
known. It was carried with the rapidity of light to the 
four winds of Heaven. When Cyprian heard of it, in 
Africa, he immediately sat down and wrote to him a most 
comforting letter, in which he earnestly besought him, 
not only to continue steadfast and firm in the midst of 
his trials, but encouraged him, by his counsels and pray- 
ers, to set such an example to the world, as became so 
distinguished a person, and such as all his predecessors 
had done, in time of peril and of death. And then com- 
mending him to God, and to the word of his grace, he 
bade him farewell, with the simple request, that which- 
ever of them it would please God to release first from the 
chains of this earth, the other should not cease to inter- 
cede with the Father of mercies for the speedy liberation 
of him who remained. It was a kindly remembrance ; 
a commendable petition, which Cornelius was soon sum- 
moned to rehearse. For in a very short time after, we 
are told by some,* that he died in prison ; while others 



* Bower's Lives of the Popes, vol. 2, p. 59. Poole's Life of St. 
Cyprian, p. 233. 



280 THIRD CENTURY. 

affirm, that he was recalled to Rome, and there cruelly 
beaten, and afterwards beheaded, in the midst of his own 
people, September the 14th, A. D. 252.* 

The writings of this good Bishop and Martyr are not 
numerous, owing to the fact, that he was only in posses- 
sion of the Episcopate of Rome about one year and three 
months ; but what there is, are valuable and to the point. 
They consist chiefly of letters written to Cyprian and 
others during the controversy that raged about Novatian 
and the Lapsed. From one of these, the following ex- 
tracts will show, in a very strong light, the base charac- 
ter of Novatian, and the situation of the Church of 
Rome, especially in respect to the number and order of 
its Ministry during his administration. They were writ- 
ten shortly before the martyrdom of Cornelius, in an 

EPISTLE T.O PABIUS. 

1. " This illustrious character, (Novatian,) abandoning 
the Church of God, in which, when he was converted, he 
was honoured with the Presbytery, and that by the favour 
of the Bishop placing his hands upon him, ordaining him, 
and as all the Clergy, and many of the Laity, resisted it, 
since it was not lawful that one baptized in his sick-bed 
by aspersion, as he was, should be promoted to any order 
of the Clergy, the Bishop requested that it should be 
granted him to ordain only this one." 

2. " In the time of the persecution, he denied that he 
was a Presbyter, through cowardice and love of life. 
For when requested and exhorted by the Deacons, that 
he should go forth from his retreat, in which he had im- 

* Cave's Lives, p. 325. 



CORNELIUS. 281 

prisoned himself, and should come to the relief of the 
brethren, as far as was proper and in the power of a 
Presbyter to assist brethren requiring relief, he was so 
far from yielding to any exhortation of the Deacons^ that 
he went away offended and left them. For he said he 
wished to be a Preshy'er no longer, for he was an ad- 
mirer of a different philosophy." 

3. " This asserter of the Gospel then did not know 
that there should be but one Bishop in a Catholic Church. 
In which, however, he well knew, (for how could he be 
ignorant ?) that there were forty-six Presbyters, se- 
ven Deacons, seven Sub-deacons, forty-two Acoluthi 
(Clerks) Exorcists, Readers, and Janitors, in all fifty- 
two ; widows, with the afflicted and needy, more than 
1500, all which the goodness and love of God doth 
support and nourish. But neither this great number, so 
necessary in the Church, nor those that by the provi- 
dence of God were wealthy and opulent, together with 
the innumerable multitude of the people, were able to 
recall him, and turn him from such a desperate and pre- 
sumptuous course."* 

REMARKS. 

1. It requires no prompter to inform the intelligent 
reader, that three orders of Clergy are clearly enumerat- 
ed in these extracts. For the Bishop, who gives the in- 
formation, and is doubtless a single individual, tells us 
that there were in the Church of Rome, at the time 
when Novatian made the schism, and usurped the Epis- 
copate, no less than forty-seven Presbyters, and 

* Euseb. Ub. 6, chap. 43. 



282 THIRD CENTURY, 

SEVEN Deacons, besides numerous inferior ojfficers, such 
as Sub-deacons, Lamp-lighters, Exorcists, Readers, and 
Door-keepers, amounting in all to fifty-four. Here any 
one may see that a Bishop, with his Presbyters and Dea- 
cons, constituted the entire Clergy of the Church of 
Rome, previous to the death of Cornelius, A. D. 252. 

2. It may, indeed, be said, however, that these were not 
Ministers, but Laymen only, acting in conjunction with 
the Bishop. If this be so, it is natural to inquire, what 
was their business ? Who took care of the spiritual in- 
terests of the people, when this account was given ? 
Who preached the Gospel and administered the Sacra- 
ments to the 50,000 Christians whom Gibbon says* in- 
habited Rome at that time ? Did Cornelius, the Bishop, 
perform all the ministerial duty that was required by so 
large a body, single-handed and alone ? Did the Bishop 
superintend and feed all this multitude of souls 1 With 
the same propriety, we might inquire, whether one Minis- 
ter performs all the duty of a similar nature in the city 
of New- York or Edinburgh, for surely it would not be 
more arduous than this ? Nay, more, is not such an hypo- 
thesis perfectly preposterous ; and if so, does it not de- 
monstrate, with undoubted certainty, the fact, that these 
were not what the Presbyterians would call Ruling El- 
ders and Deacons, mere Laymen, but Clergymen, Minis- 
ters of the Gospel, employed in such large numbers for 
the very purpose of meeting the exigencies of the case ? 
Certainly, we can view them in no other light, than a 
body of ordained Clergy, employed in accordance with 
the provisions of the Church, to assist the Bishop in the 
discharge of his duties. 

•* Hist, of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, chap. 15. 



CORNELIUS. ii 

3. And this is evidsnt from the fact, that Maximus, a 
Presbyter, who joined Novatian in his schism, is repre- 
presented by Cornelius, in his letter to Cyprian, already 
quoted, as a Minister, then seeking to be restored to his 
rank, and was restored, as we have seen, after making 
a most humbling confession before the Church. Now, 
if Maxim us was a Clergyman, so also was Novatian, as 
all admit ; and yet these were nothing more nor less than 
Presbyters : and if Presbyters, then were all the other 
Presbyters like them, for there is no distinction made be- 
tween any of them, or any hint thrown out, that some 
were Clergymen and some laymen ; but that all were 
ordained Clergymen, holding the second rank in the 
Ministry of the Church. 

4. Besides, is there not positive proof in the case of 
Cornelius, that this was even so 1 He was beyond all 
controversy a Presbyter, before his elevation to the 
Episcopate, just like Maximus and Novatian his rival ; 
but Cyprian says, that he ^^ passed through all the in- 
ferior ecclesiastical orders : and having approved him- 
self in the functions of each, he has now attained through 
them all to the Episcopate, thepinnacle o^ priestly dig- 
nity.^^ What language can be plainer and more conclu- 
sive than this, in relation to the constant ministerial 
character of Cornelius? And if, in relation to him, there 
is no reason why it should be restricted, and not applied 
to Maximus and Novatian, and all the rest who held the 
same office, as well as to the Deacons. For, it is not 
only asserted in so many words, that Presbyters and 
Deacons hold "inferior ecclesiastical offices ;" but that 
the Bishop holds " the superior ;" nay, " the pinnacle 
(f Priestly dignity'' Now, it is manifest, that unless 



284 



THIRD CENTURY 



these offices belong to the same class of persons, to wit, 
the Christian Priesthood, there is no sense in either of 
the above expressions, and especially in the latter. If 
we understand language at all, it conveys the idea, not 
merely of ranTc, grade, order ; but of clerical rank, grade, 
order, in the Ministry oftheChurcli. So it was at Rome, 
when Cornelius was its Bishop, with his forty-seven 
Presbyters, and seven Deacons ; and so, we believe, it 
was everywhere throughout the Christian Church, 

5. And what renders this view still more conclusive, is 
the fact, that in order to attain " the pinnacle of Priestly 
dignity," to wit, the Episcopate of any Church, it was 
customary to pass through all the inferior grades Jirst, 
before it could be reached. The others were only step- 
ping stones to this. In other words, the inferior offices 
were places in which those who sustained them, might 
" purchase for themselves a good degree," and thus ad- 
vance to the highest. But, how does this routine com- 
port with the course pursued by Presbyterians ? Do 
their Ministers, in order to become Bishops, in their 
sense of the word, pass through all the inferior offices 
first? Who ever heard, for example, of a Presbyterian 
Deacon^ becoming an Elder by a distinct ordination : 
and the same Elder becoming a Minister or Bishop, by 
another ordination ; and yet, sustain the ministerial or 
clerical character in each grade ? There may be, we 
grant, some few instances adduced where persons in these 
inferior offices have been ordained to fill the highest 
rank : but this is neither in accordance with the plan, 
nor yet with the spirit of Presbyterian regimen, in re- 
lation to these orders. For, be it known and remembered, 
too, that Presbyterian Elders and Deacons are Laymen, 



CORNELIUS. 285 

and are always expected to remain such. There is no 
provision made, there is no countenance given in any 
clause of their Confession of Faith, whereby these per- 
sons, or orders, are entitled to any other appellation, than 
*' representatives of the people," " almoners to the poor," 
whose offices, so far as the individuals are concerned, are 
merely secular and transient. They are elected by the 
congregation, either for a definite or an indefinite period ; 
but never for life. Of course, they are constantly sub- 
ject to change, and are changed whenever it shall be the 
will of the people to turn them out, and put others in 
their stead. Neither before nor after their election, are 
they considered anything more than laymen. As they are 
taken from the various avocations in life, so they continue 
in these avocations just as if nothing had happened. 
Accordingly, among such may be found. Physicians, 
Lawyers, Merchants, Mechanics, Farmers, Tradesmen 
of all sorts, who are, doubtless, good men in their way ; 
but utterly unfit, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, 
both by education and by habit, for the arduous and in- 
tellectual duties of the Ministry. 

6. But, still it is affirmed by Presbyterians, that the 
constitution of their Ministry, is the same as that adopted 
by the early Church ! If it be, how comes it to pass, 
that these two Orders of their officers are Laymen and 
not Clergymen ? Why is it that they have been deprived 
of tTieir rights : that they have been degraded from the 
Ministry, and made the mere servants of the people 1 
Or, why is it that they are not compelled to pass through 
the lower ranks before they attain to the highest ? and 
thus made essential pre-requisites to the Episcopate ? 
Alas ! but why inquire ? Did any one ever witness such 



286 THIRD CENTURY. 

a thing ? Did any one ever hear of such a course 
being pursued by Presbyterians ? No, never, from the 
days of John Calvin their founder, to the present time, 
has such an anomaly in P esbyterian Ordinations 
been known to exist. On the contrary, the plan gener- 
ally pursued is, to license a candidate for the Ministry 
to preach a certain length of time on probation : and 
then, when he is called to take charge of a parish — to or- 
dain and institute him at once, so that he may perform 
all the functions of the Ministry without passing through 
the inferior grades first ; and him, this man, they call a 
Pastor, a Minister, yea, a Bishop ! A Bishop, forsooth ! 
How came he a Bishop? Had he been ordained either 
a Deacon or a Presbyter first as the custom was ? Had 
he passed through all the inferior ecclesiastical offices, 
till he had arrived at this pinnacle of " Priestly dignity," 
by the laying on of hands, imposed by a lawfully con- 
stituted Bishop or Bishops, as was done in the case of 
Cornelius, Novatian, and others ? Alas ! can any one 
be serious when such inquiries are proposed ? Nay, do 
not the Presbyterians themselves ridicule the idea of 
" Priestly dignity ?" Do they not openly and fearlessly 
deny that there are any Orders among the Clergy, and 
say that all are alike equal ? Is not Imparity rejected 
by them with disdain, as the most ungodly innovation, 
as the most disastrous corruption, as the most ruinous 
regimen and device, that ever was imposed upon man, 
while Parity is received and extolled as one of the most 
perfect and glorious things known ? It certainly can- 
not be questioned, inasmuch as these are not the senti- 
ments merely of a few, ignorant, prejudiced, individuals ; 
but the sentiments of a large majority of the best 



CORNELIUS 



287 



educated and most prominent Presbyterians in the 
land. 

7. It is evident, therefore, that the Presbyterians, and 
all those who agree with them in rejecting the claims of 
the Church, have adopted a system of Church Govern- 
ment or discipline, totally unlike that which we have 
been describing ; and, perhaps, we might have said, in 
truth, totally at variance with it, in every essential par- 
ticular. To say the least, it has no resemblance to that 
which the Church of Rome practised in the middle of 
the third century, when the blessed Bishop and martyr, 
Cornelius, swayed his mitre over forty-seven Presbyters 
and seven Deacons, after having been both a Deacon 
and a Presbyter himself. Accordingly, we deem it no 
breach of propriety or of truth to declare, that the Pres- 
terians have departed from the Primitive and Apostolic 
mode of constituting the Ministry, and that they have 
neither Bishops, Presbyters, nor Deacons, such as the 
Church of Rome had, and such as every other pure 
Church in Christendom had, from the earliest day to 
this of which we speak. If there be any truth in His- 
tory, or any dependence to be placed upon facts. Prelacy, 
and not Parity, was the only Polity extant. 

8. Here, then, we may rest our cause, believing, as we 
do, that we have shown, beyond all perad venture, that 
there were Three distinct Orders of Ministers in the Primi- 
tive and Apostolic Church, from the time of our Saviour, 
down to the middle of the third century ; and that, too, 
from the writings of men, eminent for their piety and 
learning, and zeal, in the cause of Christ, in each suc- 
cessive period, as could anywhere be found : thus form- 
ing a chain of evidence, the most perfect and complete 



288 



THIRD CENTU RY 



that can well be conceived, or can possibly be arrayed 
in favour of any other subject whatever. And we might 
add, that if there were no prejudice, no interest, no en- 
mity of heart, to counteract the force of this array, or 
nothing but the judgment to be swayed by the superior 
majesty of truth, we believe that we have produced evi- 
dence sufficient, and more than sufficient, to settle this 
matter at once. Such a result, perhaps, is too much to 
anticipate ; considering the variety of opinion, and the 
hostility to change that everywhere prevails, in reference 
to this matter : yet, we are not without hope, that some- 
thing may be effected by this humble effort, towards 
making many an one of these conform to the one Primi- 
tive and Apostolic polity of the Church. All we ask is, 
that the evidence be carefully examined and dispassion- 
ately weighed, and we have no fear of the result. Con- 
viction must be the consequence, that there were Three 
divinely constituted Orders of the Ministry, running 
down without intermission or restraint, from the Apostles, 
to the middle of the third century, A.D. 258. 

9. And in order that this may be seen at a glance, we 
have prepared the following table, with the view of giv- 
ing a synopsis of the argument as it stands, in the light of 
figures and dates, and thus show that these Fathers lived 
at such a time, and so near each other, that there is one 
clear continuous course of evidence, from first to last. 



First Century. 


Born Died 
A.D.jA.U. 


I Second Century. 

1 


Born Died 
A. D. A. D, 


Third Century. 


a.d! 


Died 

a.d. 


Clement of Rome 




100 


Iran iE US . . . . 


i 
97 202 


Oiigen . . 


18C 


254 


Ignatius . . . 


31 


107 


Clement of Alexan 


150 202^ 


Cyprian . . 


19C 


258 


Polycarp . . . 


65 


167 


TertuUiaa . . . 


145' 220 


Cornelius . 


20(. 


252 



CORNELIUS. 289 

Thus, it will be seen that two of the first century 
were contemporary with all of the second century : and 
all of the second, with each of the third, for many years 
together. In fact, Irenseus was contemporary, not only 
with < 11 the Fathers of the second century, but with two 
of the most distinguished of the first and third ; so that 
it takes but the testimony of these three individuals to 
form an unbroken chain. Or, if we consider them in 
reference to their actual connection, and, of course, their 
identity of views, the reader will perceive, that Irenseus, 
who was the disciple of Polycarp, lived, and testified till 
the beginning of the third century, what he had heard 
his venerable Teacher say concerning the Ministry of 
the Church, which he adopted : and then, again, that 
Clemens Alexandrinus, who was the contemporary of 
Irenaeus, and, also, the Teacher of Origen, whose invalu- 
able life was prolonged till after the death of Cornelius, 
has given the most unequivocal testimony to the same 
Orders of the Ministry as Irenseus and his pupil : so that 
we have thus, hut four persons in two separate and dis- 
tinct lines, necessary to transmit the testimony entire, 
upon which we are called to rely for more than two 
hundred and fifty years, and all of them individuals of 
such veracity and worth, that we can scarcely hesitate a 
moment in giving it our unqualified assent ! If testi- 
mony can do it, here is testimony sufficient to establish 
the certainty of any truth ; and such, as we venture to 
say, can be produced in favour of no other truth on 
record, unless it be susceptible of actual demonstration. 

10. It may be said, however, that we have only 
brought our testimony down to the year of our Lord 
258, and that a change may have taken place subsequent 



290 



TH TRD CENTURY 



to that time. Whether this be so or not, we have shown 
clearly, that there was no change as yet from Parity to 
Prelacy, or from Presbytery to Episcopacy ; but that 
Episcopacy was the prevailing and only Polity estab- 
lished, wherever the Church was known. And this is 
admitted by almost all Presbyterian writers, whose 
judgment and learning are esteemed of any value. For, 
when we find such men as Blondel and Baxter, LeClerc 
and Grotius, Spanheim and Doddridge, all admitting the 
truth of our position in the Cyprianic age, we may rest 
assured that they have discovered enough to satisfy the 
most sceptical and acute, in reference to this subject. 

But still, for fear we may be thought to shrink from 
the investigation, we propose to go through with the 
third century, and to show from the most undoubted au- 
thority, that Episcopacy was from this time forth the 
Government of the Church. In doing so, we shall let 
one author suffice, whose learning, and piety, and worth, 
were pre-eminent, and who, especially in relation to this 
subject, was more admirably qualified for the task, than, 
perhaps, any other man of his day. We mean the cele- 
brated Eusebius Pamphilus, the Father of Ecclesiastical 
antiquities, and Bishop of Cesarea. 






EUSEBIUS. 



" The soul that knows not thy constraining power, 
Sacred Antiquity! hath lost a spell 
From Heaven — a delicate chain impalpable 

To hold clear spirits ; he hath miss'd the tower 

Where Faith finds refuge, marr'd the sacred flower 
Of bloom and modesty, aye wont to dwell 
On virtue's awful face. Love hath a cell 

Where, watch'd and treasur'd as her choicest dower, 
She keeps what bears the impress of her Lord, 

Now doubly dear by age ; such high control 
Is Piety's life-breath. If freedom's word 

Finds in thy breast an echo, lay aside 

That riglit-asseiting attitude of soul, 

Ere in the Christian's temple thou abide, 

Where he who dwells must dwell on bended knee. 

From his own merits praying to be free." 



The Cathedral. 




X. 

EUSEBIUS. 

Soon after Valerian had ceased his impious war upon 
the saints, and many of the Churches, like Rome and 
Carthage, had been despoiled of their chiefs, by his mur- 
derous decrees, a child was born at Cesarea, in Palestine, 
by the name of Eusebius, A.D. 266. 

This child grew up to manhood amidst the most dis- 
astrous scenes. Persecution followed persecution in 
rapid haste, and the greatest enormities were committed, 
upon the people of God, in every quarter of the 
realm, where Gallienus reigned. And yet Eusebius was 
spared through a merciful providence, and enabled to 
acquire a superior education under Dorotheus, a Pres- 
byter of Antioch, who was somewhat famous as an in- 
structor of youth. It is impossible,, at this late period, 
in the absence of all testimony, to ascertain whether he 
was educated specially with the view of entering the 
sacred ministry, or not : but we know from good au- 
thority, that it was not long after he had completed his 
studies under the Presbyter just named, when he re- 
ceived orders at the hands of Agapius, the Bishop of 
Cesarea, where he laboured for many years. For when 
the Dioclesian persecution was raging with unparalelled 



294 THIRD CENTURY. 

fury, we find Eusabius still at Cesarea, in the capacity of 
a Presbyter, endeavouring to qualify those who were 
doomed to suffer death in the most excruciating forms, by 
his unwearied diligence and zeal. At the imminent 
peril of his own life, he lost no opportunity in storing 
their minds with the great and glorious truths of the Gos- 
pel. Among those who lost their lives at this period, was 
his most intimate and beloved friend, Pamphilus, a fellow 
Presbyter, whose name he instantly assumed in connec- 
tion with his own, and by which he has ever since been 
called. 

As soon as this unnatural and cruel war had ceased, 
Eusebius Pamphilus was, by common consent, or rather 
by acclamation, elected Bishop of Cesarea, at the death 
of Agapius, A. D. 315. Here he continued to exercise 
the duties of his high station, with the same unwearied 
diliffence and zeal as he had hitherto done. And we con- 
ceive it no faint praise to say, that few men were more 
distinguished for the ability and success with which he 
discharged the sacred functions of his office. Far and 
near he was known as a man nat only of eniin3iit piety 
and virtue, but of unequalled talents and learning. Since 
the time of Origen, the Church had produced no man 
that could compete, like him, with that surprising 
genius in the variety and extent of his acquirements. In 
addition to his great Biblical knowledge and researches, 
which were not inferior to any, he wrote and published a 
vast many works, insomuch that we are told " it would re- 
quire the whole leisure of a man's life carefully to read."* 

The principal work, however, on which his fame rests, 
is his Ecclesiastical History, consisting of ten books or 

+ Critica Biblica, vol 3. p. 121. 



EUSEBIUS. 295 

parts. Although the learned are not agreed precisely as 
to the time when it was written, yet it is generally 
thought to have been finished before the Council of Nice 
assembled, in which he was a leading member, A. D. 325. 
The object of this production was, as he himself 
states,* " to record the successions of the Holy Apostles, 
together with the times since our Saviour, down to the 
present ; to recount how many and important trans- 
actions are said to have occurred in Ecclesiastical His- 
tory ; what individuals in the most noted places 
eminently governed and presided over the Church ; 
what men also, in their respective generations, 
whether with or without their writings, proclaimed the 
divine word ; to describe the character, times, and num- 
ber of those who, stimulated by the desire of innovation, 
and advancing to the greatest errors, announced them- 
selves leaders in the propagation of false opinions, like 
grievous wolves, unmercifully assaulting the flock of 
Christ ; as it is my intention, also, to describe the calami- 
ties that swiftly overwhelmed the whole Jewish nation, 
in consequence of their plots against our Saviour ; how 
often, and by what means, and in what times, the word 
of God has encountered the hostihty of the nations; 
what eminent persons persevered in contending for it 
through those periods of blood and torture, besides the 
martyrdoms which have been endured in our own times ; 
and, after all, to show the gracious and benign inter- 
position of our Saviour ; these being proposed as the sub- 
jects of the present w(M*k, I shall go back to the very 
origin i and the earliest introduction of the dispensation 
of our Lord and Saviour, the Christ of God." 
* Lib. 1, chap. 1. 



296 THIRD CENTURY. 

Immensely great as this undertaking was, he did not 
shrink from executing it according to his purpose. As 
yet, it was, comparatively speaking, a new and untried 
field, which no one had traversed before him. True, in- 
deed, Hegessippus and Papias had explored it a little in 
the second century ; but their writings were of little or 
no value, on account of the scarcity of materials with 
which they were furnished, and the brief period which 
they undertook to describe. Accordingly, Eusebius ap- 
plied himself to the task of collecting and preparing, not 
only from their writings which are now lost ; but from 
the most authentic sources then extant, a complete ac- 
count of every matter which had hitherto transpired in 
any part of the world, worthy of being recorded in a His- 
tory of the Church. 

" For this purpose," said he, "we have collected the ma- 
terials that have been scattered by our predecessors, and 
culled, as from some intellectual meadows, the appro- 
priate extracts from ancient authors." In order to ac- 
complish this, it was necessary for him to travel much ; 
and, that he might have no obstacle thrown in his way by 
any person whatever, he was favoured with a special 
rescript from the Emperor Constantine, who was per- 
sonally his friend, giving him access to all the public 
libraries and records of consequence, especially at 
Jerusalem ; and after the most patient and diligent 
search, he succeeded in producing a work which has ever 
since been considered the fountain head of all matters 
relating to the Church, for the first three centuries. 
From this circumstance, he has been esteemed, and very 
justly styled, " the Father of Ecclesiastical His- 
tory." 



EUSEBIUS. 297 

It is easy to see that this important work covers all 
the ground over which we have gone, or care to go, in 
reference to thesubject of Episcopacy. Nay, more, such 
is the comprehensive and exact nature of the details, 
that we might have furnished almost all the material 
facts and extracts, had we felt disposed, from this deposi- 
tory of ancient truth ; showing beyond all question, that 
Eusebius drew from the same sources, or had the very 
same works from which we have been enabled to glean 
so many facts : but, of course, so much nearer the time 
when these occurrences took place, that his History is 
almost invaluable, I had almost said indispensable, to a 
clear understanding of the subject. In regard to many 
things, it is immeasurably so, because so many of those 
records and works are now lost, from which he compiled 
his own, that it is the only source of information we now 
have respecting most of the ministries and events in- 
cident to the Church in those times. 

From this work, then, we propose to make some ex- 
tracts, in order to see whether we are sustained in the 
view we have taken of the Orders of the Ministry, during 
the first three centuries, or whether we are not. But if 
we shall be able to show, that all the prominent and im- 
portant points are sustained by this writer, oftentimes in 
the very words we have quoted, then we may rest assured 
that we have not merely succeeded in establishing the 
authenticity and genuineness of the works themselves, 
but have actually placed a Threefold Ministry beyond 
the reach of doubt, by this last Father of the Fathers, as 
he may well be called. In carrying out this plan, we 
shall give the extracts by centuries, as we have hitherto 
done, beginning with the 



298 THIRD CENTURY. 

FIRST CENTURY. 

BISHOPS. 

1. "This James, therefore, whom the ancients, on ac- 
count of the excellence of his virtue, surnamed the Just, 
was the Jirst that received the Episcopate of the Church at 
Jerusalem. But Clement, in the sixth book of his Insti- 
tutions, represents it thus : * Peter, and James, and John, 
after the ascension of our Saviour, though they had been 
preferred by our Lord, did not contend for the honour, 
but chose James the Just as Bishop of Jerusalem.^ And 
the same author, in the seventh book of the same work, 
writes thus : ' The Lord imparted the gift of knowledge to 
James the Just, to John and Peter, after his resurrection, 
these delivered it to the rest of the Apostles, and they to 
the seventy, of whom Barnabas was one. There were, 
however, two Jameses ; one called the Just, who was 
thrown from a wing of the temple, and beaten to death 
with a fuller's club, and another,* who was beheaded.'"! 

2. " That Paul preached to the Gentiles, and establish- 
ed Churches from Jerusalem, and around as far as Illyri- 
cum, is evident both from his own expressions, and from 
the testimony of Luke in the Book of Acts. And in what 
provinces Peter also proclaimed the doctrine of Christ, 
the doctrine of the New Covenant, appears from his own 
writings, and may be seen from that Epistle we have 
mentioned as admitted in the Canon, and which he ad- 
dressed to the Hebrews in the dispersion throughout 
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. But 
how many, and which of these, actuated by a genuine 

* Lib. 2, chap. 9. f Lib. 1, chap. 1. 



EUSEBIUS 



299 



zeal, were judged suitable to feed the Churches estab- 
lished by these Apostles, it is not easy to say, any farther 
than may be gathered from the writings of Paul. For 
he, indeed, had innumerable fellow-labourers, or, as he 
himself calls them, fellow-soldiers in the Church. Of 
these, the greater part are honoured with an indelible 
remembrance by him in his Epistles, where he gives a 
lasting testimony concerning them. Luke also, in his 
x\cts, speaking of his friends, mentions them by name. 
Timothy, indeed, is recorded as having first received the 
Episcopate at Ephesus, as Titus also was appointed over 
the Churches in Crete.*'* 

PRE SBTTE KS. 

3. " But Papias himself, in the preface to his Dis- 
courses, by no means asserts that he was a hearer and 
an eye-witness of the holy Apostles, but informs us that 
he received the doctrines of faith from their intimate 
friends, which he states in the following words : * But I 
shall not regret to subjoin to my interpretations, also for 
your benefit, whatsoever I have, at any time, accurately 
ascertained and treasured up in my memory, as I have 
received it from the Elders, and have recorded it in order 
to give additional confirmation to the truth by my testi- 
mony. For I have never, hke many, delighted to hear 
those that tell many things, but those that teach the 
truth ; neither those that record foreign precepts, but 
those that are given from the Lord, to our faith, and that 
came from the truth itself. But if I met with any one 
who had been a follower of the Elders anywhere, I made 

* Lib. 3, chap. 4. 



300 THIRD CENTURY. 

it a point to inquire what were the declarations of the 
Elders, What was said by Andrew, Peter, or Phih'p. 
What by Thomas, James, John, Matthew, or any other 
of trie Disciples of our Lord. What was said by Aris- 
tion, and the Presbyter John, disciples of the Lord. For 
I do not think that I derived so much benefit from books 
as from the living voice of those that are still surviving.' 
Where it is also proper to observe, (he adds,) the name of 
John is twice mentioned. The former of which he men- 
tions with Peter, and James, and Matthew, and the other 
Apostles, evidently meaning the Evangelist. But in a 
separate point of his discourse, he ranks the other John 
with the rest not included in the number of Apostles, plac- 
ing Aristion before him. He distinguishes him plainly by 
the name of Presbyter. So that it is here proved that the 
statement of those is true, who assert that there were two 
of the same name in Asia, that there were also two tombs 
in Ephesus, and that both are called John's even to this 
day, which it is particularly necessary to observe. For 
it is probable that the second, if it be not allowed that it 
was the first, saw the revelation ascribed to John. And 
the same Papias, of whom we now speak, professes to 
have received the declaration of the Apostles from those 
that were in company with them ; and says also that he 
was a hearer of Aristion and the Presbyter John.^'* 

DEACONS. 

4. " There were appointed also, with prayer and the 
imposition of hands, by the Apostles, approved men, unto 
the office of Deacons, for the public service ; these were 

♦ Lib. 3, chap. 39. 



EUSEBIUS. 301 

those seven,* of whom Stephen was one. He was the first, 
also, after our Lord, who, at the time of ordination, as if 
ordained to this very purpose, was stoned to death by the 
murderers of the Lord. And thus he first received the 
crown answering to his name, of the victorious Martyrs 
of Christ."tt 

5. " As the first and greatest persecution arose among 
the Jews, after the martyrdom of Stephen, against the 
Church at Jerusalem, and all the disciples, except the 
twelve, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria ; 
some, as the Scriptures say, coming as far as Phenice, 
and Cyprus, and Antioch, they were not yet in a situa- 
tion to venture to impart the faith to the nations, and, 
therefore, only announced it to the Jews. Daring this 
time, Paul also was yet laying waste the Church, enter- 
ing the houses of the believers, dragging away men and 
women, and delivering them over to prison. Philip, also, 
one of those who had been ordained to the ojice of Dea^ 
con, being among those scattered abroad, went down to 
Samaria. Filled with Divine power, he first proclaimed 
the Divine word to the inhabitants of that place. But 
so greatly did the Divine grace co-operate with him, that 
even Simon Magus, with a great number of other men, 
were attracted by his discourses. "|| 

REMARKS. 

1. From these extracts, it will be apparent to every 
reader, not only that there were Three Orders of Minis- 
ters in the days of the Apostles, but that these Three 

* Acts vi. 5. t Acts vii. 58. 

t Lib. 2, chap. 1. II Lib. 2, chap. 1. 

_ 



302 



THIRD CENTURY 



Orders were appointed hy the Apostles^ and by them alone, 
under the immediate direction of the Holy Spirit. For 
James the Just, who was an Apostle of our Lord, and 
his own brother, according to the flesh, is here declared 
to have been chosen by Peter and John, (who were 
equally eligible,) with the sanction of the whole college 
of Apostles, the first Bishop of the Church at Jerusalem ; 
while Timothy is said to have received the Episcopate of 
Ephesus, and Titus that of Crete, which, even then, was 
so far Christianized, as to number an hundred Churches. 

2. And that there was a distinction made, at that early 
period, between a Bishop or an Apostle, thus constituted 
a Bishop of a particular Church, and a Presbyter, is evi- 
dent also, from the testimony of Papias, who was contem- 
porary with many of the Disciples of our Saviour, in 
which he states, that the Apostle John, who was some- 
times called an Elder, or a Presbyter, perhaps on account 
of his great age, was very properly distinguished from 
another person of the same name, who was only a Pres- 
byter, or Elder in office, by calling him " Prester John," 
or Presbyter John ; and hence, " he was not included in 
the number of the Apostles," And Eusebius says, that 
Papias '* placed Aristion before him, and plainly distin- 
guishes him by the name of Presbyter," because that was 
his real title and rank. 

3. Here, then, is the second order of the Ministry 
plainly distinguished from the^r*^ by its appropriate title. 
It is the same, doubtless, which we find in the Acts of 
the Apostles, associated with St. James, the Bishop of 
Jerusalem, when it was determined by him, in council, 
and assented to by all the other Apostles, that those who 
had been admitted to the Church from among the Gen- 



EUSEBIUS. 303 

tiles, need not keep the law of Moses, nor yet be circum- 
cised, as some affirmed they should. Accordingly, we 
are told, that as soon as this course was agreed upon, 
letters were immediately despatched by Barnabas and 
Silas, chief men among the brethren, headed thus : " The 
Apostles, and Elders, and brethren, send greeting unto 
the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and 
Syria, and Cilicia."* 

4. And then, again, that there were seven Deacons, in 
this same Church, at that very time, in addition to the 
Bishop and his Presbyters, is absolutely certain, not only 
from the above extracts, but also from the sixth chapter 
of the Acts of the Apostles, where the institution of this 
order is first announced. There it is just as manifest as 
anything can be, that these Deacons were not merely 
Ministers of tables, but Ministers of tJie word also ; for as 
soon as they were ordained, we find Stephen, without any 
other ordination, preaching the Gospel at Jerusalem, and 
falling a martyr in its defence. Philip, too, we see, went 
immediately down into Samaria, in consequence of the 
persecution that arose about Stephen, and there proclaim- 
ed the same word, with astonishing success. That they 
arrogated to themselves powers which did not belong to 
them, or that they usurped the special duties of their su- 
periors, in so doing, is nowhere stated, or even intimated ; 
but we are surely given to understand, that they were 
Ministers, not merely of tables, as some affirm, and, of 
course, only Laymen, but Ministers of the Gospel also, and 
in virtue of their office, commissioned to preach the word, 
wherever God in his providence might cast their lot. 

* Acts XV. 23. 



304 THIRD CENTURY. 

And this they did, with so much energy and power, that 
their success was truly wonderful, and certainly not in- 
ferior to any obtained by the Apostles. If success be an 
evidence of their being true and lawful Ministers, here 
we have it. 

5. Here, then, is one Church at least, and that one the 
first in existence, as well as the first in importance and 
interest, constituted with Three distinct Orders of Minis- 
ters, and named Bishop, Presbyters and Deacons, and 
that, too, by the holy and inspired men whom our Saviour 
himself had commissioned to do this very thing. 

Now, in order to show the reader that the organization 
of this Church was not peculiar, but was, in fact, the 
model after which all others were in due time formed, 
and, of course, that there was no change, immediately 
after the Apostolic age, or at any period during this cen- 
tury, we have selected the following additional passages 
from Eusebius : — 

BISHOPS. 

a. " After the martyrdom of Paul and Peter, Linus 
was the first that received the Episcopate at Rome. 
Paul makes mention of him in his Epistle from Rome 
to Timothy, in the address at the close of the Epistle, 
saying, ' Eubulus, and Prudens, and Linus, and Claudia, 
salute thee.' "* 

h. " After Vespasian had reigned about ten years, he 
was succeeded by his son Titus, in the second year of 
whose reign Linus, Bishop of the Church of Rome, who 
had held the office twelve years, transferred it to Anen- 
cletus. But Titus was succeeded by Domitian, his bro- 

* Lib. 3, chap. 2. 



EUSEBIUS 



305 



ther, after he had reigned two years and as many- 
months."* 

c. " In the twelfth year of the same reign, after Anen- 
CLETus had been Bishop of Rome twelve years, he was 
succeeded by Clement, whom the Apostle, in his Epistle 
to the Philippians, shows had been his fellow-labom-er, in 
these words : * With Clement, and the rest of my fellow- 
labourers, whose names are in the book of life.' "f 

d. " Of this Clement there is one Epistle extant, ac- 
knowledged as genuine, of considerable length, and of 
great merit, which he wrote, in the name of the Church 
of Rome, to that at Corinth, at the time when there was 
a division in the latter. This we know to have been pub- 
licly read for common benefit, both in former times and 
in our own ; and that, at the time mentioned, a sedition 
did take place at Corinth, is abundantly attested by He- 
gesippus.":j: 

e. " In the third year of the above-mentioned reign, 
(Trajan's,) Clemewt, Bishop of Rome, committed the 
Episcopal charge to Euarestus, and departed this hfe, 
after superintending the preaching of the Divine word 
nine years. ''|| 

f. " About this time flourished Polycarp in Asia, an 
intimate Disciple of the Apostles, wlio received the Epis- 
copate of the Church at Smyrna, at the hands of the eye- 
witnesses and servants of the Lord, At this time, also, 
Papias was well known as Bishop of the Church at Hie- 
rapolis, a man well skilled in all manner of learning, and 
well acquainted with the Scriptures. Ignatius, also, who 

* Lib. 3, chap. 13. t Lib. 3. chap. 15 and 21. 

X Lib. 3, chap. 16. II Lib. 3. chap. 34. 



306 



THIRD CENTURY 



is celebrated by many even to this day, as the successor 
of Peter at Antioch, was the second that obtained the 
Episcopal office there. Tradition says that he was sent 
away from Syria to Rome, and was cast as food to 
wild beasts, on account of his testimony to Christ. And 
being carried through Asia, under a most rigid custody, 
fortified the different Churches in the cities where he tar- 
ried, by his discourses and exhortations, particularly to 
caution them more against the heresies which even then 
were springing up and prevailing. He exhorted them to 
adhere firmly to the tradition of the Apostles ; which, for 
the sake of greater security, he deemed it necessary to 
attest by committing it to writing. When, therefore, he 
came to Smyrna, where Polycarp was, he wrote one 
Epistle, viz. that to the Church of Ephesus, in which he 
mentions its Pastor, Onesimus, Another, also, to the 
Church in Magnesia, which is situated on the Meander, 
in which again he makes mention of Damas the Bishop. 
Another, also, to the Church of the Trallians, of which 
he states that Polyhius was then Bishop. To these must 
be added, the Epistle to the Church at Rome, which also 
contains an exhortation not to disappoint him in his ar- 
dent hope, by refusing to endure martyrdom. Of these, 
it is worth while also to subjoin very short extracts, by 
way of specimen. He writes, therefore, in the following 
manner : ' From Syria to Rome, I am contending with 
wild beasts, by land and sea, by night and day, being tied 
to ten leopards, the number of the military band, who, 
even when treated with kindness, only behave with 
greater ferocity. But in the midst of these iniquities, I 
am learning. Yet am I not justified on this account. 
May I be benefitted by those beasts, that are in readiness 



EUSEBIUS. 307 

for me, which I also pray may be quickly found for me, 
which also I shall entice and flatter to devour me quick- 
ly, and not to be afraid of me, as of some whom they did 
not touch. But should they perchance be unwilling, I 
will force them. Pardon me 4 I know what advantage 
it will confer. Now I begin to be a Disciple. Nothing, 
whether of things visible or invisible, excites my ambi- 
tion, as long as I can gain Christ. Whether fire, or the 
cross, the assault of wild beasts, the tearing asunder of 
my bones, the breaking of m.y limbs, the bruising of my 
whole body, let the tortures of the devil all assail me, if 
I do but gain Christ Jesus.' This he wrote from the 
above-mentioned city to the aforesaid Churches. But 
after he had left Smyrna, he wrote an exhortation to 
those in Philadelphia, and particularly to Polycarp, who 
was Bishop there, whom he designates as an apostolical 
man, and as a good and faithful shepherd, commends the 
flock of Antioch to him, requesting him to exercise a dili- 
gent oversight of the Church."* 

PRE S BY TEHS. 

g, " Such is the account, (Eusebius concludes, after 
detailing it,) respecting the blessed Polycarp, who, toge- 
ther with twelve from Philadelphia, was crowned a mar- 
tyr. Who, however, is rather mentioned alone by all, 
so that he is spoken of by the Gentiles in every place. 
Of such an end, then, was the admirable and apostolic 
Polycarp deemed worthy, according to the account which 
the brethren in Smyrna recorded in the Epistle that we 
have quoted. In this same Epistle, also, respecting him, 

» Lib. 3, chap. 26. 



308 



THI ED CENTURY 



other martyrdoms are also recorded, which took place in 
the same city, and about the time of Polycarp's death. 
Among these, also, was Metrodorus, a follower of Mar- 
cion's error, but who appears to have been a Presbyter, 
and who was committed to the flames."* 

DEACONS. 

h, " Hegesippus, indeed, in the five books of his Com- 
mentaries that have come down to us, has left us a most 
complete record of his own views. In these he states, 
that he conversed with most of the Bishops when he tra- 
velled to Rome, and that he received the same doctrine 
from all. We may also add, what he says, after some 
observations on the Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians : 
* And the Church of Corinth,' says he, ' continued in the 
true faith until Primus was Bishop there, with whom I 
had familiar conversation, (as I passed many days at 
Corinth,) when I was on the point of sailing to Rome ; 
during which time, also, we were mutually refreshed in 
the true doctrine. After coming to Rome, I made my 
stay with Anicetus, whose Deacon was Eleutherus. After 
Anicetus, Soter succeeded, and after him Eleutherus. In 
every succession, however, and in every city, the doc- 
trine prevails according to what is declared by the law 
and the prophets, and the Lord.' "■(■ 

REMARKS. 

a. It will be seen, from the slightest examination of 
the above extracts, that not only Linus and Clement, 

* Lib. 4, chap. 15. t Lib. 4, chap. 22. 



EUSEBIUS. 309 

who were the intimate friends and fellow-labourers of the 
Apostles, but Ignatius and Polycarp also, who were their 
disciples and helpers, are here expressly denominated, 
among others, Bishops of the various Churches over 
which they were placed. All of them, so far as we can 
learn, were men of the highest integrity and worth, and 
so situated, that it was impossible for them to be deceiv- 
ed, or to deceive others, in reference to the constitution 
of that Ministry, whose chief office was thus intrusted to 
their care. And this was not confined to Linus or Cle- 
ment of Rome, but it was sustained with equal dignity 
by Ignatius at Antioch, by Polycarp at Smyrna, by One- 
simus at Ephesus, by Damas at Magnesia, by Papias at 
Hierapolis, by Polybius at Tralles, by Primus at Corinth, 
and, indeed, by every other Bishop in Italy, Asia, Greece, 
and Gaul, and that, too, through a regular and uninter- 
rupted succession from the hands of the Apostles. In all 
these places, the Church was certainly Episcopal, or, in 
other words, it maintained a Threefold Order of Minis- 
ters, of whom the Bishop was the first or chief. 

h. To prove that this is no fiction, if the reader will 
merely turn to the Epistles of Ignatius, to which Euse- 
bius refers, and which have been noticed in detail under 
the head of that Father, he will there find, not only the 
exact words, which Eusebius says he quoted from his letter 
to the Church of Rome, extant in his day ; but he will find 
also, all the very Churches and Bishops there enumerat- 
ed by name, just as he enumerates them in the paragraph 
now given. Is not this good evidence, nay, conclusive 
evidence, that the Epistles which we have, and those 
from which he quoted, are precisely the same ? And 
if the same, then it is just as clear as anything can be, 



310 THIRD CENTURY. 

that the Three Orders of the Ministry existed in the days 
of Clement, Ignatius, Poly carp, and all the rest, because 
these are, over and over again, alluded to in so many 
words, in almost every Epistle. In fact, the passages in 
which Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons are enumerated, 
are so incorporated with the subject-matter of each, that 
it is impossible to deprive them of these, without abso- 
lutely destroying their import, and even their sense alto- 
gether. They are, in a word, so connected with what 
precedes and follows their introduction, that we ma)'^ 
safely affirm, that if ever the one existed, the other did : 
and hence, we have no hesitation in saying, that al- 
though Eusebius has not quoted the passages which con- 
tain the Three Orders of the Ministry, in so many words, 
yet we believe he must have known of their existence, 
and, of course, must have sanctioned their correctness. 
If there had been any novelty or innovation in the mode 
of representing these Orders in the Epistles of Ignatius, 
and especially in the obedience, the reverence, the autho- 
rity accorded to the Bishop, Eusebius would have chron- 
icled the change, or noted the assumption, beyond all 
perad venture ; but as he has nowhere in his work given 
us the remotest hint of anything of the kind, we are com- 
pelled to believe, that all Ignatius says, in reference to 
this subject, is literally true, and sustained by the testi- 
mony of Eusebius, whose means of information were 
nearly, if not altogether, equal to his own. 

c. But when we come to look at the remaining ex- 
tracts, and see that Eusebius has actually given us, in 
addition to the Order of Bishops, both Presbyters and 
Deacons, we are perfectly satisfied that such were the 
Orders of the Ministry during the whole of the. period in 



EUSEBIUS. 311 

question. True, indeed, only one of each Order is given 
in the extracts ; but then they are given in such a way 
as to leave us no room to doubt, that they are but repre- 
sentatives of a class, and not the entire class, of which he 
speaks ; so that we are driven to the only conclusion 
which it is possible to adopt, viz. that there were Bishops, 
Presbyters and Deacons universally established in the 
Church, from the times of the Apostles till near the close 
of the second century, or about the time when Polycarp 
suffered death, A. D. 167. 

Now, in order to find out whether this same regimen 
continued in the Church after that time, let us take up 
Eusebius again, and see what light he throws upon this 
subject, in the latter part of the 

SECOND CENTURY. 

BISHOPS. 

1. " And first we must speak o? Dionysius^ who was ap- 
pointed over the Church at Corinth, and imparted freely, 
not only to his own people, but to others abroad also, the 
blessings of his Divine labours. But he was most useful 
to all in the catholic Epistles that he addressed to the 
Churches, one of which is addressed to the Lacedaemo- 
nians, and contains instructions in the true religion, and 
inculcates peace and unity. One also to the Athenians, 
exciting them to faith, and the life prescribed by the Gos- 
pel, from which he shows that they had swerved, so that 
they had nearly fallen from the truth, since the martyr- 
dom of Publius, then Bishop, which happened in the per- 
secutions of those times. He also makes mention of 
QuadratuSf who was Bishop after the martyrdom of Pub- 



312 THIRD CENTURY. 

lius, bearing witness also that the Church was again col- 
lected, and the faith of the people revived by his exer- 
tions. He states, moreover, that Dionysius, the Areo- 
pagite, who was converted to the faith by Paul the Apos- 
tle, according to the statement in the Acts of the Apos- 
tles, first obtained the Episcopate of the Church at 
Athens. There is also another Epistle of his extant, 
addressed to the Nicomedians, in which he refutes the 
heresy of Marcion, and adheres closely to the rule of 
faith. In an Epistle to the Church of Gortyna, and to 
the other Churches in Crete, he commends their Bishop 
Philip, for the numerous instances of fortitude that the 
Church evinced under him, according to the testimony 
of all, whilst he cautions them against the perversions of 
the heretics. He wrote also to the Church at Amastris, 
together with those at Pontus, in which he makes men- 
tion of Bacchylides and Elpistus, as those who urged him 
to write. He also adds some expositions of the sacred 
writings, where he intimates that Palmas was then 
Bishop:''^ 

2. " But this Clement (Bishop of Rome,) was succeed- 
ed by EuarestuSy and Euarestus by Alexander. Zystus 
followed as the sixth from the Apostles, after whom was 
Telesphorus, who also illustriously suffered martyrdom ; 
then came Hyginus, and after him Pius. He was fol- 
lowed by Anicetiis, and as he was succeeded by Sotcr, the 
twelfth from the Apostles in the Episcopate now is Eleu- 
therus, in the same order and the same doctrine (or suc- 
cession) in which the tradition of the Apostles in the 
Church, and the promulgation of the truth, has descended 
to us."t 

+ Lib. 4, chap. 23. t Lib. 5, chap. 6. 



EUSEBIUS. 313 



PRE SBTTE RS. 



1. " And as there was a dissension in consequence of 
these men, (Montanus, AHcibiades, and Theodotus, in 
Phrygia,) the brethren in Gaul again presented their own 
pious and correct judgment also concerning these, and 
published several letters of the Martyrs that had been put 
to death among them. These they had written whilst 
yet in prison, and addressed to their brethren in Asia and 
Phrygia. And not only to these, but likewise to Eleu- 
therus, who was then Bishop of Rome, negotiating, as 
it were, for the peace of the Churches."* 

2. " But these same Martyrs recommending also Ire- 
ncBUs, who was then a Presbyter of the Church at Lyons, 
to the Bishop of Rome before mentioned, bear abundant 
testimony in his favour, as the following extracts show : 
' We pray and desire, father Eleutherus, that you may 
rejoice in God in all things, and always. We have re- 
quested our brother and companion Irenaeus to carry this 
Epistle to you, and we exhort you to consider him as 
commended to you, as a zealous follower of the testa- 
ment (covenant) of Christ. For if we knew that any 
place could confer righteousness upon any one, we would 
certainly commend him among the first, as a Presbyter 
of the Church, the station which he holds.' ^^-f 

3. " Pothinus having died with the other Martyrs in 
Gaul, in the ninetieth year of his age, he was succeeded 
by IrencBUS in the Episcopate of the Church at Lyons, 
We have understood he was a hearer of Polycarp in his 
youth. This writer has inserted the succession of the 

* Lib. 5, chap. 4. t Ibid. 



314 THIRD CENTURY. 

Bishops in his third book against the heretics, where he 
reviews the catalogue down to Eleutherus, whose times 
we are now examining."* 

4. " Others there were that flourished at Rome, at the 
head of whom was Florirms, who falUng from his office 
as a Presbyter of the Church, Blastus was very nearly 
involved in the same fall with him. These always draw- 
ing away many of the Church, seduced them into their 
opinions, each one endeavouring separately to introduce 
his own innovations respecting the truth."! 

5. "But as the Presbyters of the place requested that 
we should leave some comment of those things that we 
said, in opposition to the opponents of the truth, Zoticus 
Otrenus also being present, who was our fellow -Preshy- 
ter ; this, indeed, I did not perform, but I promised writ- 
ing hither, and to send it as soon as possible, if the Lord 
permitted.":!: 

CLERGY AND LAITY. 

1. " The same author that composed the book already 
mentioned respecting the founder of this heresy, (Arte- 
mon,) also adds an account of another event that occur- 
red in the times of Zephyrinus, in these words : ' I shall 
remind many of the brethren of a fact,' says he, * that 
happened in our days, which, had it happened in Sodom, 
I think, would have led them to reflection. There was 
a certain Natalius, who lived not in remote times, but 
in our own. This man was seduced on a certain occa- 
sion by Asclepiodotus, and another Theodotus, a money 
changer. Both of these were disciples of Theodo- 

* Lib. 5, chap. 5. f Lib. 5, chap. 15. % Ibid. 



EUSEBIUS. 315 

tus, the currier, the first that had been excommunicated 
by Victor, then Bishop, as before said, on account of this 
opinion, or rather insanity. Natahus was persuaded by 
them to be created a Bishop of this heresy, with a salary 
from them of one hundred and fifty denarii a month. 
Being connected, therefore, with them, he was frequent- 
ly brought to reflection by the Lord in his dreams. For 
the merciful God and our Lord Jesus Christ, would not 
that he who had been a witness of his own suff*erings, 
should perish, though he was out of the Church. But as 
he paid but little attention to these visions, being ensnar- 
ed both by the desire of presiding among them, and that 
foul gain which destroys so many, he was finally lashed 
by holy angels, through the whole night, and was thus 
most severely punished ; so that he arose early in the 
morning, and putting on sackcloth, and covered with 
ashes, in great haste, and bathed in tears, he fell down 
before Zephyrinus the Bishop, rolling at the feet, not 
only of the Clergy, but even of the Laity, and thus 
moved the compassionate Church of Christ with tears. 
And although he implored their clemency with much 
earnestness, and pointed to the strokes of the lashes he 
had received, he was at last scarcely admitted to com- 
munion.' "* 

REMARKS. 

1. It is hardly worth while, perhaps, to detain the 
reader for the purpose of saying, what must be so ap- 
parent to every one, that in the first of these extracts, 
there are six Bishops enumerated by name ; while, in 
the second, there are ten : that the former were located 

♦ Lib. 5, chap. 28. 



316 THIRD CENTURY. 

in various parts of the world, over distinct Churches or 
places : while the latter were confined to a single city, 
in the order in which they stand, having succeeded each 
other regularly as a vacancy occurred. That these were 
a distinct order of ministers, and so considered, we pre- 
sume no one will pretend to deny. Eusebius certainly 
viewed them in this light, and we are at a loss to con- 
ceive how they can be viewed in any other. 

2. Especially when we remember how Irenaeus was 
elevated to the dignity of the Episcopate, upon the death 
of Pothinus, his Bishop, there is no room to doubt. Be- 
cause, previous to this, Irenaeus was nothing but a Pres- 
byter in the Church of Lyons, and so distinguished by 
the Martyrs in their Epistle to Eleutherus ; and yet as 
soon as the vacancy occurred in the Episcopate, by the 
death of the venerable Pothinus, he who had been up to 
this hour, merely a Presbyter, was immediately chosen to 
fill his place, on account of his superior qualifications as 
a minister, and thenceforth denominated " the Bishop of 
Lyons," as his predecessor had been. Here, then, is an- 
other instance distinctly recognised of an order of min- 
isters, below Bishops, from which the superior order was 
usually supplied :* thus going to show most clearly, that 
the plan of Church government in that day, was not 
what the Presbyterians or Congregationalists say it was, 
nor such as they adopt at the present time, but totally 
and altogether unlike it in every particular. For where, 
within the memory of man or out of it, did a Pres 
byterian Elder obtain, in the same Church of which he 
was an officer before, the entire oversight of the flock, 

* See lib. 7. chap. 7 and 11. 



E U S E BIUS. 



317 



or become a Bishop, by another ordination, over other 
preaching Elders, in the same Church ? We venture to 
say, that such a circumstance was never known. For, 
such an anomaly is altogether at variance with the 
scheme which they adopt, and, of course, is rendered im- 
practicable from the very nature of the case. 

3. In support of this view, it is only necessary to refer 
the reader to the last extract, which gives an account of 
the singular conduct of Natalius. For there it is very 
evident, that in addition to the Bishop, there was an 
order of men present, who were entitled " the Clergy, ^^ 
in contradistinction to the Laity : that it was in their 
presence the poor deluded creature, bathed in tears, fell 
down and rolled at their feet, for the purpose of moving 
the compassionate Church of Christ to receive him 
again to her bosom. Now, the question may be asked, 
who were these Clergy ? The only answer which can 
be returned is, the Bishop., with his Presbyters and 
Deacons. For surely the Bishop alone, could not avail 
himself of the whole of that title, as it belongs properly 
to a number, and that number, the orders just enume- 
rated. These were generally considered the Clergy of 
a Church or of a Bishop : and, therefore, we see no way 
to apply the term, unless we admit that there was one or 
both of these orders then in conjunction with the 
Bishop, when Natalius sought to be restored to the favour 
and fellowship of the Church, which he had dishonoured. 

Here, then, are the Three Orders developed again, from 
the testimony of Eusebius during this Century ; and al- 
though we can scarcely hope to make it any plainer by 
the addition of the same sort of matter, yet, we feel our- 
selves bound to make this part of our subject correspond 



318 



THIRD CENTURY 



with that which has just gone before, we shall merely 
adduce those passages which are perfectly in point, from 
the writings of Eusebius which relate to the 

THIRD CENTURY. 

FIRST CLASS. 

BISHOPS, PRESBYTERS, DEACONS. 

1. " About this time, (A. D. 250,) appeared Novatian, 
a Presbyter of the Church of Rome, and a man elevated 
with haughtiness against these, (that had fallen,) as if 
there was no room for them to hope salvation, not even, 
if they performed everything for a genuine and pure 
confession. He thus became the leader of the peculiar 
Heresy of those who, in the pomp of their imaginations, 
called themselves Cathari. A very large Council being held 
on account of this, at which sixty, indeed, of the Bishops, 
but a still greater number of Presbyters and Dea cons, 
v/ere present."* 

2. " But as to the persecutions that raged so violently 
under him, (Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria,) and what 
sufferings he with others endured, for their piety to- 
wards the Supreme God, his own words shall declare, 
which he addressed to Germanus, one of the contem- 
porary Bishops that attempted to slander him. His 
words are as follows: 'But,' says he, ' I apprehend 
that as I am forced to relate the wonderful providence of 
God respecting us, I shall be liable to much folly and in- 
sensibility. But, as it is said, it is honourable to conceal 

* Lib. 6, chap. 43. 



U S E B I U S 



319 



the secrets of the King, and glorious to make manifest 
the works of God, I will face the violence of Germanus. 
I came to ^milianus, not alone, but in company with 
my feWow- Presbi/fer, Maximus, and the Deacons, Faus- 
tus, Eusebius, and Chseremon.' "* 

3. " But in the city some concealed themselves, 
secretly visiting the Brethren ; Presbyters, Maxi minus, 
Dioscorus. Demetrius, and Lucius. For Faustinus and 
Aquila, who are more prominent in the world, are 
wandering about in Egypt. But of those that died of 
the sickness, the surviving Deacons are Faustas, Eusebius, 
Chaeremon."*f 

4. " But it should be observed, that this Eusebius, 
whom he called a Deacon, was not long after appointed 
Bishop of Laodicea, in Syria. But Maximus, whom he 
called^a Presbyter, at that time succeeded Dionysius as 
Bishop of the Church of Alexandria. ^^X 

5. "Among these, the most eminent were Fimilianus, 
Bishop of Cesarea, in Cappadocia, Gregory and Athe- 
nadorus, brothers and Pastors of the Churches in Pon- 
tus ; also Helenus, Bishop of the Church at Tarsus, and 
Nicomas, of Iconium ; besides, Hymenseus, of the 
Church of Jerusalem, and Theotecnus, of the adjacent 
Church at Cesarea : moreover, Maximinus, who governed 
the Brethren at Bostra with great celebrity. The vast 
number of others, both Presbyters and Deacons, that 
assembled in the said city, for the same cause, one could 
hardly number, but these were the most distinguished. "|| 

6. " The Pastors, therefore, who had been convened, 

* Lib. 6, chap. 40. t Lib. 7, chap. 11. . 

t Lib. 7, chap. 11. II Lib. 7, chap. 28. 



320 THIRD CENTURY. 

having drawn up an Epistle, by common consent ad- 
dressed it to Dionysius, Bishop of Rome, and to Maxi- 
mus, of Alexandria, and sent it to all the provinces. In 
this, they set forth their own zeal to all, and the per- 
verse doctrine of Paul, together with the arguments and 
discussions which they had had with him ; stating, at the 
same time, the whole life and conduct of the man, from 
whose statement it may be well, perhaps, to give the 
following extracts for the present. The Epistle: * To 
Dionysius and Maximus, and to all our fellow-Ministers 
throughout the world, the Bishops, and Presbyters, and 
Deacons, and to the whole Catholic Church throughout 
the world under Heaven : Helenus, Hymenseus, and 
Theophilus, and Theotecnus, and Maximus, Proculus, 
Nicomas, and JEHanus, Paul and Bolanus, and Pro- 
togenes, Hierax, and Eutychius, and Theodoru^, and 
Malchion, and Lucius, (16) and all the rest who are 
Bishops, Presbyters or Deacons, dwelling with us, in 
the neighbouring cities, and nations, together with the 
Churches of God, wish joy to the beloved Brethren in 
the Lord.'"* 

SECOND CLASS. 

MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS. 

BISHOPS. 

1. "Of those Prelates of the Church, however, who 
suffered martyrdom in the most celebrated cities^ the first 
of which we shall mention, recorded by the pious as a 
witness of the kingdom of Christ, is Anthimus, Bishop of 

* Lib. 7, chap. 30. 



E U S EBI us . 321 

Nicomedia, who was beheaded. Among the Martyrs at 
Phoenice, the most noted of all were those pious and de- 
voted pastors of the Spiritual Flocks of Christ, Tyran- 
nio, Bishop of the Church of Tyre, Zenobius of Sidon ; 
and Silvanus, Bishop of Emisa. The last of these was 
cast as food to wild beasts, at Emisa, and thus ranked 
in the number of Martyrs, but each of the former glori- 
fied the doctrine of God, by suffering with patience until 
death. The one, the Bishop, was committed to the 
depths of the sea ; but Zenobius, the other, a most ex- 
cellent physician, died with great fortitude, under the 
tortures applied to his sides. Bat, among the Martyrs at 
Palestine, Silvanus, Bishop of the Churches about Gaza, 
was beheaded with thirty-nine others at the Copper 
Mines of Phoeno. Also, those of Egypt were Peleus and 
Nilus, who were Bishops, suffered death by the flames. 

PRESBYTE RS . 

2. " Among these must be mentioned the Presbyter 
Pamphilus, a most admirable man of our times, and the 
glory of the Church at Cesarea, whose illustrious deeds 
we have set forth in its proper place.* But of those 
who were prominent as Martyrs of Alexandria, all Egypt 
and Thebais, the first whom we shall mention is Peter, 
Bishop of Alexandria, a man wonderful as a teacher of 
the Christian Faith, and the Presbyters with him, Faus- 
fusj and Dius, and Ammonius, perfect witnesses of 
Christ, "t 

3. " After this, on the fifth of the month Dius, on the 

* See Book of Martyrs, Euseb. chap. 7 and 11. 
t Lib. 8, chap. 13. 



322 THIRDCENTURY. 

Nones of November, Roman style, in the same city, 
(PhcEno, in Palestine,) SilvamiSi who was yet a Pres- 
byter, became a Confessor, and not long after he was 
both honoured with the Episcopate, and finally crowned 
with Martyrdom.^'^ 

4. " Of the Martyrs of Antioch, we also nameLucian, 
that Presbyter of this Church, who, during all his life, 
was pre-eminent for his excellent character and piety. 
He had before at Nicomedia, and in the presence of the 
Emperor, proclaimed the Heavenly Kingdom of Christ, 
in the defence that he delivered, and afterwards bore 
testimony to its truth in his actions. "f 

DEACONS. 

5. " Worthy of record, also, are the circumstances re- 
specting Romanus, which occurred on the same day at 
Antioch. He was a native of Palestine, a Deacon and 
exorcist of the Church of Cesarea, and was present at 
the demolition of the Churches there ; and as he saw 
many men with women and children approaching the 
idols in masses, and sacrificing, considering the sight in- 
tolerable, and stimulated by a zeal for religion, he cried 
out with a loud voice, and reproved them. But he was 
immediately seized for his boldness, and proved, if any, to 
be a most noble witness of the truth. "if 

6. " The second after Pamphilus that entered the 
contest was Valens, Deacon of the Church of ^lia, a 
man dignified by his venerable and hoary locks, and most 
august by the very aspect of his great age ; well versed 

* Euseb. Book of Martyrs, chap. 7. + Lib. 8, chap. 13. 

t Euseb. Book of Martyrs, chap. 1. 



EUSEBIUS. 323 

in the Scriptures^ in which he had no superior. For, he 
had so much of them treasured up in his memory, that 
he did not require to read them, if he undertook at any 
time to repeat any parts of the Scriptures/'* 

REMARKS. 

We might, if it were necessary, produce many more 
passages hke the above, from the writings of Eusebius, 
but we fear to weary the patience of the reader. Enough, 
we think, has been given to place the subject in the clear- 
est light ; and if anything can produce conviction, in re- 
ference to the Threefold Ministry of the Church, during 
the first three centuries, we cannot but flatter ourselves 
that these will do it. For it must be apparent surely to 
every one, that the Three Orders of the Ministry are not 
only spoken of by all the Fathers during this period, with- 
out exception, in the clearest manner possible, but by 
Eusebius also, throughout the whole of his celebrated work. 
We see no difference in their statements. Those of the 
first century represent the matter in no other light than 
those of the second or the third. All speak of the Three 
Orders, by the same unvarying names and grades, thus : 
Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons. Eusebius also does 
the same from first to last. The extracts which we have 
given above, demonstrate this fact beyond all contro- 
versy. That Episcopacy was the universal and undis- 
puted regimen of the Church in his day, no one now pre- 
tends to deny ; nay, it is admitted on all hands. But if 
it existed then, so it did in every preceding age from the 
Apostles ; for Eusebius makes no difference in enumer- 

* Book of Martyrs, chap. 11. 



324 THIRD CENTURY. 

ating the Orders of the Ministry. What Bishops, Pres- 
byters and Deacons, were in the first century, as they 
were instituted by Christ and his Apostles, so were they 
in the second, and in the third, down to the very time 
when he compiled the work from which these passages 
are selected, about A. D. 320 or 325. And if anything 
can add to the truth and certainty of this matter, it is 
the fact, that he traces the successions of Bishops, in the 
various Churches, by name^ in the same list, from the 
earliest period to the time in which he wrote, without the 
least hint of any change, or any break, or any departure 
from the usual course ; so that we find ourselves abso- 
lutely driven to the conclusion as before, in every in- 
stance, that there was no deviation from the original 
plan, which was Apostolic and Divine, and which we 
are perfectly justified in saying, consisted of Three dis- 
tinct Orders of Ministers, viz. Bishops, Presbyters, 
and Deacons. 

From the fourth century onward, to the period of the 
Reformation, in the sixteenth century, Episcopacy was 
the prevailing and only regimen of the Church. Indeed, 
it was so apparent and undisputed then, that when the 
Reformers of the English Church compiled the Book of 
Common Prayer, in the time of Edward the Sixth, A. D. 
1548, they began the preface to the Ordinal by saying, 
" It is evident unto all men diligently reading Holy 
Scripture and ancient authors, that from the Apostles' 
time there have been these Orders of Ministers in Christ's 
Church, Bishops, Priests and Deacons." Now the 
men who wrote this were no ignorant empirics, no pre- 
tenders to knowledge, no upstarts, no enthusiasts, no 
fanatics or fools, but some of the wisest, holiest, purest. 



ENGLISH DIVINES. 325 

soberest, noblest sons the Church ever had. In short, 
they were not surpassed by any men, in modern times, in 
deep learning, in solid sense, in ardent piety, in weight 
of character, in stern integrity, and honour. And yet, 
these men could say, and did say, without the slightest 
hesitation, " it is evident,^' nay, it is so evident, that it 
cannot be disputed, that such were the orders of the 
Ministry from the days of the Apostles. 

And that they were not alone in this opinion, but were 
sustained in it by many men of equal learning, and piety, 
and worth, belonging to the same Church, for cen- 
turies afterwards, we shall show from their own writ- 
ings. Thus, it is written by the "judicious" 

HOOKEE,. 

" A very strange thing, sure it were, that such a dis- 
cipline as ye, (the Puritans,) speak of should be taught 
by Christ and his Apostles in the word of God, and no 
Church ever have found it out, nor received it until this 
present time. Contrariwise, the Government against 
which ye bend yourselves, be observed everywhere 
throughout all generations and ages of the Christian 
world, no Church ever perceiving the word of God to 
be against it. We require you to find out hut one 
Church upon the face of the whole earthy that hath been 
ordered by your discipline, or hath not been ordered by 
ours, since the time that the blessed Apostles were here 
conversant." — Ecc. Pol. Preface. 

BURSCOUaH. 

" I make no doubt to affirm, that the testimony of the 
Fathers is, at least, as cogent for the Divine Original of 



326 ENGLISH DIVINES 

Episcopacy, as it is when they ascertain to us the 
Canon of Scripture ; which yet is hke to suffer nothing 
by this comparison. For if we reject them as false wit- 
nesses when they inform us, that Bishops were appoint- 
ed by the Apostles, we must not only believe, as I have 
intimated already, that the Pastors of the Church, not- 
withstanding^ their great distance from each other, and 
their different customs and interests, generally hit at the 
same time upon the same project, to destroy that Ecclesi- 
astical Polity, which had Christ for its Founder ; but that 
everywhere they had the same fatal success."— Treatise 
on Church Government. 

CHILLINGWORTH. 

*• So great a change as between Presbyterial govern- 
ment and Episcopal, could not possibly have prevailed 
all the world over in a little time. Had Episcopal Go- 
vernment been an aberration from [or a corruption of ] 
the Government left in the Churches by the Apostles, it 
had been very strange, that it should have been received 
in any one Church so suddenly, or that it should have 
prevailed in all for many ages after. Variasse debuerat 
error ecclesiarum ; quod autem apud omnes unum est, 
non est erratum, sed traditum. " Had the Churches 
erred, they would have varied : what, therefore, is one 
and the same amongst all, came not surely by error, but 
tradition." Thus Tertullian argues very probably from 
the consent of the Churches of his time, not long after 
the Apostles, and that in matter of opinion much more 
subject to unobserved alteration. But that in the frame 
and substance of the necessary Government of the 
Church, a thing always in use and practice, there should 



ON EPISCOPACY. 327 

be so sudden a change, as presently after the Apostles' 
times ; and so universal, as received in all the Churches ; 
this is clearly impossible." — The Apostolical Institution 
of Episcopacy demonstrated. 

JERE MT TAYLOR. 

" Although we had not proved the immediate Divine 
Institution of Episcopal power over Presbyters and the 
whole flock, yet Episcopacy is not less than an Apostolic 
ordinance, and delivered to us by the same authority 
that the observation of the Lord's day is. For, for that 
in the New Testament we have no precept, and nothing 
but the example of the Primitive Disciples meeting in 
their Synaxes upon that day, and so also they did on the 
Saturday in the Jewish Synagogues, but yet, (however 
that at Geneva they were once in meditation to have 
changed it into a Thursday meeting, to have shown their 
Christian liberty,) we should think strangely of those 
men that called the Sunday-festival less than an Apos- 
tolical ordinance : and necessary now to be kept holy 
with such observances as the Church hath appointed. — 
Episcopacy asserted, vol. 7. 

BISHOP HALL. 

" But, however, it pleased the Spirit of God, in the 
first hatching of the Evangelical Church, to make use 
of these indistinct expressions : yet all this, while the 
offices were several ; known by their several characters 
and employments : so, as the function and work of an 
Apostle was one ; viz. to plant the Church and to ordain 
the Governors of it : of a Bishop, another ; to wit, to 
manage the Government of his designed circuit, and to 



328 ENGLISH DIVINES 

ordain Presbyters and Deacons : of a Presbyter, another ; 
namely, to assist the Bishop, and to watch over his 
several charges : of a Deacon, another ; besides his 
sacred services, to order the stock of the Church, and to 
take care of the poor : yet, all these agreed in one com- 
mon service, v^^hich was the propagation of the Gospel, 
and the founding of God's Church. 

And soon after the very terms were contra-distinguish- 
ed ; both by the substance of their charge, and by the 
property of their titles : insomuch as blessed Ignatius, 
that holy Martyr, who lived many years within the times 
of the Apostles, in every of his Epistles, as we shall see 
in the sequel, makes express mention of Three distinct 
Orders of Government, Bishops, Presbyters, Dea- 
cons." — Episcopacy by Divine Right. 

B ARUOW. 

" Of this distinction, there never was in ancient times 
made any question, nor did it seem disputable in the 
Church, except to one malcontent (Aerius,) who did, 
indeed, get a name in story, but never made much noise, 
or obtained any vogue in the world ; very few followers 
he found in his heterodoxy ; no great body, even of Here- 
tics, could find cause to dissent from the Church in this 
point ; but, all Arians, Macedonians, Novatians, Do- 
natists, &;c. maintained the distinction of Ecclesiastical 
Orders among themselves, and acknowledged the duty 
of the inferior Clergy to their Bishops : and no wonder, 
seeing it standeth on so very firm and clear grounds ; 
upon the reason of the case, upon the testimony of Holy 
Scripture, upon general tradition, and unquestionable 
monuments of antiquity, upon the common judgment and 



ON EPISCOPACY 



329 



practice of the greatest saints, persons most renowned 
for wisdom and piety in the Church." — Sermon 56. 

AUCHBISHOP LEIGHTON. 

" In his interview with six Presbyterian Preachers, 
and when, if ever, he would have made as great con- 
cessions as possible, he said, " he was persuaded that 
Episcopacy^ as an order distinct from Presbyters, had 
continued in the Church ever since the days of the Apos- 
tles ; that the world has everywhere received the Chris- 
tian Religion from Bishops, and that a parity among 
Clergymen was never thought of before the middle of the 
last century, (i. e.the 16th,) and was then set up rather 
by accident than on design.^' — Burnet's History of his 
own Times. Vol. 1, p. 373. 

BISHOP MIDDLETON. 

"Already, in the age of the Apostles, we read of the 
institution o^ Episcopacy ; in the same age we have dis- 
tinct mention of the Three Orders of Bishops, Pres- 
byters, and Deacons ; and in the period immediately 
succeeding, we find all the Christian Churches under the 
same regimen. The converts entertained no petty 
jealousies on account of the pre-eminence of those who 
were invested with spiritual distinction : they acted like 
men, who knew that the division of Supreme authority, 
defeats its own purpose ; that no security is thus gained 
to the impartial administration of justice ; that the na- 
tural tendency of all power is to settle in an individual ; 
and that while it is still vibrating in uncertainty, oppres- 
sion will be most severely felt. There is not in the 



330 ENGLISH DIVINES 

whole of Eusebius's histpry, a single recorded instance 
in which the Presbytery presumed to aspire to in- 
dependent authority, or, in which the Laity, so far as ap- 
pears, would have favoured such an attempt." — Christ 
Divided ; a Visitation Sermon. 

BISHOP HEBER. 

" We find the distinction between Bishops and Pres- 
byters, which is here implied, confirmed in the strongest 
terms by the Ecclesiastical writers who come nearest to 
the Apostolic age ; by some who were themselves con- 
temporaries with the Apostles ; by others, of undoubted 
learning and diligence, who made it their business to col- 
lect and illustrate the history of the Primitive times ; 
and we find it above all confirmed by the fact (which 
rests on as good foundation as the succession of the 
Roman Emperors, or the earlier English Kings,) that 
catalogues of such Bishops, as distinct from, and superior 
to, the general body of Presbyters, were preserved in all 
the principal Churches of the East, from the time of the 
Apostles down to that of Eusebius and Socrates. 

And it is not too much to say, that we may challenge 
those who differ from us to point out any single period 
at which the Church has been destitute of such a body of 
officers, laying claim to an authority derived by the im- 
position of hands from the Apostles themselves, or any 
single instance of a Church without this form of Govern- 
ment, till the Church of Geneva, at first from necessity, 
and afterwards from a mistaken exposition of Scripture, 
supplied the place of a single Bishop, by the rules of an 
oligarc'iial Presbytery." — Sermons preached in England. 



©N EPISCOPACY. 331 



CHILL I NG- WORTH 



" When I shall see, therefore, all the fables in the Me- 
tamorphosis acted and proved true stories ; when I shall 
see all the democracies and aristocracies in the world lie 
<3own and sleep, and awake into monarchies ; then will I 
begin to believe that Presbyterial Government, having 
continued in the Church during the Apostles' times, 
should presently after (against the Apostles' doctrine, 
and the will of Christ) be whirled about like a scene in a 
mask, and transformed into Episcopacy. In the mean 
time, while these things remain thus incredible, and in 
human reason impossible, I hope I shall have leave to 
conclude thus : 

" Episcopal Government is acknowledged to have been 
tiniversally received in the Church, presently after the 
Apostles' times. 

" Between the Apostles' times, and this presently after, 
there was not time enough for, nor possibility ot^ so great 
an alteration . 

*' And, therefore, there was no such alteration as is pre- 
tended. And, therefore. Episcopacy being confessed to 
be so ancient and Catholic, must be granted also to be 
Apostolic : Quod erat demonstrandum." — The Apostoli- 
cal Institution of Episcopacy Demonstrated. 

It would be an easy thing to multiply quotations like 
these, to almost any extent ; but we forbear, trusting 
that these maybe sufficient to satisfy the curiosity, if not 
thejudgment, of the most fastidious and perverse. And, 
although we have no idea of being able to place this 
matter in any clearer light, or of adding one iota to the 



332 SECTARIAN REFORMERS 

weight of testimony that has been adduced in favour of 
Episcopacy, by quoting the views of the following au- 
thors : yet we shall do it for the purpose of letting the 
reader see, that the sentiments of those great Sectarian 
Reformers and Leaders, Avhose general course was an- 
tagonist to those already given, was entirely similar in 
this respect. We will begin with 

L UTHE E,. 

" I allow that each state ought to have one Bishop of 
its own by Divine Right ; which I show from Paul, say- 
ing " for this cause left I thee in Crete." — Resolutions. 

MEL ANCTHON. 

" We have often protested that we do greatly approve 
the Ecclesiastical Polity and Degrees in the Church, and 
as much as lieth in us, do desire to conserve them." — 
Apology for the Augustan Confession, p. 363. 

" I would to God it lay in me to restore the Govern- 
ment of Bishops. For I see what manner of Church we 
shall have, the Ecclesiastical Polity being dissolved. I 
do see that hereafter will grow up in the Church a 
greater tyranny than there ever was before." — Apology, 
&c. p. 395. 

" By what right or law may we dissolve the Ecclesias- 
tical Polity, if the Bishops will grant to us that which in 
reason they ought to grant ? And, if it were lawful for us 
to do so, yet, surely, it were not expedient. Luther was 
ever of this opinion^\ — Melancthon, Camerarius' Life. 

CALVIN. 

" As we have stated that there are Three kinds of 
Ministers recommended to us in the Scripture, so the 



ON EPISCOPACY. 333 

ancient Church divided all the Ministers it had into 
J^hree Order s.^^ — Calvin's Institutes, Lib. 4, chap. 4. 
Sec. 1. 

" If they will give us such an hierarchy as that of the 
English Church in which the Bishops have such a pie- 
eminence as that they do not refuse to be subject unto 
Christ, I will confess that they are worthy of all anathe- 
mas, if any such there be, who will not reverence it, and 
submit themselves to it with the utmost obedience." — 
Calvin on the necessity of reforming the Church ; in 
the volume entitled, Joannis Calvini Tractatus Theologici 
omnes, p. 69. 

'* Of Calvin's Episcopal opinions, Mons. Daille, a 
French Protestant Divine, thus writes : " Calvin hon- 
oured all Bishops that were not subjects of the Pope, 
such as were the Prelates of England. We confess that 
the foundation of their charge is good and lawful, 
established by the Apostles, according to the command 
of Christ." — Bingham's French Church's Apology for 
the Church of England. 

Mons. De L'Angle, another Divine of the same Church, 
thus writes to the Bishop of London. " Calvin, in his 
treatise of the necessity of the Reformation, makes no 
difficulty to say, that if there should be any so unreason- 
able as to refuse the communion of a Church that was 
pure in its worship and doctrine, and not to submit him- 
self with respect to its government, under pretence that 
it had retained an Episcopacy qualified as yours is, there 
would be no censure or rigour of discipline that ought not 
to be exercised upon them." — Stillingfleet's Unreason- 
ableness of Separation, at the end. 



14=. 



334 EMINENT PRESBYTERIANS 

BE ZA. 

" In my writings touching Church Government, I ever 
impugned the Romish hierarchy, but never intended to 
touch or impugn the Ecclesiastical Polity of the Church 
of England." — Letter to Archbishop Whitgift, in the 
Life of Whitgift, printed by Snodham, in 1612. 

" If there were any, as you will not easily persuade me, 
who would reject the whole order of Bishops, God forbid 
that any man in his senses should assent to their mad- 
ness. And speaking of the Episcopacy of the Church 
of England, he says, "Let her enjoy that singular blessing 
of God, which I pray may be perpetual !' " — Answer to 
Saravia, c. 18. 

BU CE R. 

" By the perpetual observation of all Churches, even 
from the Apostles' time, we see that it seemed good to the 
HoJy Ghost, that among Presbyters, to whom the pro- 
curation of Churches was chiefly committed, there should 
be one that should have the care or charge of divers 
Churches, and the whole ministry committed to him ; and 
by reason of that charge he was above the rest ; and, 
therefore, the name of Bishop was attributed peculiarly 
to those chief Rulers." — De Cura. Curat, p. 251. 

GHO TIUS. 

" Of the Episcopate, therefore, that is, the superiority 
of one Pastor above the rest, we first determine that it 
is repugnant to no Divine law. If any one think other- 
wise, that is, if any one condemn the whole ancient 
Church of folly, or even of impiety, the burden of proof. 



ON EPISCOPACY. 335 

beyond doubt, lies upon him, &c. The very Ministry 
instituted b the Apostles, sufficiently proves that equal- 
ity of the Ecclesiastical offices was not commanded by 
Christ. We, therefore, first lay down this, which is un- 
doubtedly true, that it (viz. the Episcopate, or superiori- 
ty of one Pastor above the rest,) neither can or ought to 
be found fault with ; in which we have agreeing with us 
Zanchius, Chemnitius, Hemmingius, Calvin, Melancthon, 
Bucer, and even Beza, as thus far he says, that one cer- 
tain person, chosen by the judgment of the rest of his co- 
Presbyters, was chief over the Presbytery ^ and was per- 
manently so/' 

" Another is, that that Episcopate, which we treat of, 
was received by the universal Church. This appears 
from all the Councils, whose authority now likewise is 
very great among the pious. It appears also, from an 
examination of the Councils, either National or Provin- 
cial, of which there is almost none which does not show 
manifest signs of Episcopal authority. All the Fathers, 
without exception, testify the same, of whom he who 
shows least deference to the Episcopate, is Jerome, him- 
self not a Bishop but a Presbyter. Therefore, the testi- 
mony of him alone is sufficient. It was decreed through 
the whole world, that one chosen from the Presbyters 
should be set over the rest, to whom all care of the 
Church should belong." — Da Imperio summarum potes- 
tatum circa Sacra, Commentarius posthumus.* 

L E CL E RC. 

" Whoever reads over the works of that great man, 
Hugo Grotius, and examines into his doctrine and prac- 

* Extracts from Bishop Doane's " Word for the Church." 



336 FATHERS OF METHODISM 

tice, will find that he had entertained in his mind that 
form of sound words, the truth of which he has proved ; 
nor did he esteem anything else as true religion ; but 
after he had diligently read the writings of Christian an- 
tiquity, and understood that the original form was that of 
Episcopacy, he highly approved of it in the manner it is 
maintained in England, as appears from his own express 
words, which we have wrote down at the bottom of the 
page." — Grotius on the Truth of Christianity, illustrated 
with Notes, by Mr. Le Clerc. Lond. ed. p. 273. 

" They who, without prejudice, have read over the 
most ancient Christian writers that now remain, very 
well know that the former manner of discipline, which 
is called Episcopal, such as that in the south part of 
Great Britain, prevailed everywhere in the age immedi- 
ately after the Apostles ; whence we may collect that it 
is of Apostolical institution. The other, which they call 
Presbyterian, was instituted in many places of France, 
Switzerland, Germany and Holland, by those who, in the 
sixteenth century, made a separation from the Church 
of Rome."— Ibid. p. 272. 

JOHN WESLEY. 

" I believe the Episcopal form of Church government 
to be Sc7iptural and Apostolical.'^ — Sermon on the " Ca- 
tholic Spirit," vol. V. p. 416. Harpers' ed. 1827. 

" We believe that there is, and always was, in every 
Christian Church, (whether dependent on the Bishop of 
Rome or not,) an outrvard Priesthood, ordained by Jesus 
Christ, and an outward sacrifice offered therein, by men 
authorized to act as ambassadors of Christ, and stewards 
of the mysteries of God." 



ON EPISCOPACY. 337 

"We believe that the Threefold Order o^ Ministers 
(which you seem to mean by Papal Hierarchy and Pre- 
lacy,) is not only authorized by its Apostolical ijistiiution, 
but also by the written word,'''' 

" Yet we are willing to hear and weigh whatever rea- 
sons induce you to believe the contrary." — Extracts of 
a Letter in answer to Mr. Hall, vol. ii. pp. 74, 75. 

When Mr. John Wesley was in the eighty- seventh 
year of his age, and, of course, within a year or so of his 
end, he made the following declaration : viz. " And this 
is no way contrary to the profession which I have made 
above these fifty years. / never had any design of sepa- 
rating from the Church ; I have no such design now. I 
do not believe the Methodists in general design it, when 
I am no more seen. 1 do, and will do, all that is in my 
power to prevent such an event. Nevertheless, in spite 
of all that I can do, many of them will separate from it, 
(though I am apt to think, not one half, perhaps not a 
third of them.) These will be so bold and injudicious as 
to form a separate party. In flat opposition to these, I 
declare once more, that I live and die a member of the 
Church of England; and that none who regard my 
judgment or advice, will ever separate from it,''"' — Vol. x. 
pp. 96, 97. 

DR. ADAM CLAREE. 

*' Episcopacy in the Church of God is of Divine 
appointment, and should be maintained and respect- 
ed. Under God, there should be supreme Governors 
in the Church, as well as in the state. The state has its 
monarch, the Church has its Bishop ; one should govern 



338 EPISCOPACY 

according to the laws of the land, the other, according to 
the word of God." 

" As the Deacon had many private members under his 
care, so the Presbyter, or Elder, had several Deacons 
under his care, and the Bishop several Presbyters. Dea- 
con, Presbyter, and Bishop, existed in the Apostolic 
Church ; and may, therefore, be considered of Divine 
origin.'' — Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 1, 13. 

Having thus given the sentiments entire of many emi- 
nently pious and learned Prelates and Doctors of the 
Episcopal Church, as well as those of many very able 
and distinguished men not in connection with it, and 
having, as we verily believe, brought the inquiry fairly 
and fully to a close, we may fearlessly, and without re- 
straint, conclude, in the language of the learned Bishop 
Hoadly : " We have as universal, and as unanimous a 
testimony of all writers and historians, from the Apostles' 
days, as could reasonably be expected or desired. Every 
one who speaks of the Government of the Church in any 
place, witnessing that Episcopacy was the settled form ; 
and every one who hath occasion to speak of the origi- 
nal of it, tracing it up to the Apostles' days, and fixing 
it upon their decree ; and what is very remarkable, 7io 
one contradicting this, either of the friends or enemies of 
Christianity, either of the orthodox or heretical, through 
those ages, in which only such assertions concerning this 
matter of fact could well be disproved. From which tes- 
timonies I cannot but think it highly reasonable to infer, 
THAT Episcopacy was of Apostolical institution."* 

* Hoadly's Works, vol. 1, p. 398. 



REJECTED. 339 

And yet, clear and unequivocal as these testimonies 
are in favour of Episcopacy, there are multitudes in our 
day, who reject it altogether ; and that, too, not only in 
the face of all history, and all antiquity, and all proof, 
but contrary to the express declaration and desire of the 
very men whom they pretend to reverence and love above 
all others. Instead of acknowledging with them, openly 
and candidly, as they should, the Divine and Apostolic 
institution of Episcopacy, it has become the fashion of 
late, for those " who are wiser than their teachers," but 
in reality intellectual dwarfs and drones in comparison, 
to assert that Episcopacy was an innovation — that it 
came in little by little, "paulatim, paulatim ;" that it 
grew up by stealth, unperceived and unrebuked ; that it 
was not, in fact, the Primitive and Apostolic regimen of 
the Church ; but that Presbyterianism, or Methodism, or 
Congregationalism, was the original ! For such bold and 
sweeping asseverations, we should expect some good and 
substantial considerations. But where are they ? What 
are they ? On what ground are they conceived ? On 
what evidence do they rest ? What new mine have they 
sprung 1 What new library have they opened ? What 
new manuscript have they found ? Is there any 1 Nay, 
is there one new reason, which their forefathers did not 
know, just as well as they, for making these false and in- 
jurious remarks upon the polity of the Church ? We an- 
swer. No, not one, save the one unblushing, self-sufficient, 
overwhelming contradiction of these sinners against them- 
selves. To call it arrogance, to call it presumption, to 
call it ignorance, would be to give such conduct a name, 
without a meaning, in comparison with what it is. Nay, 
the only solution we can give, for the enormity of the out- 



340 



SECTS OPPOSED TO 



rage upon the common sense, and common verdict of 
mankind, is, that it is in truth, ignorance, arrogance, pre- 
sumption, of the very lowest grade. 

And now, the only remaining duty which seems to be 
required, is, that we present to the reader, not the names 
of the individuals who have been guilty of rejecting and 
slandering the- regimen of the Church, for that would be 
impossible, but the names of the masses or sects who have 
cast off Episcopacy, and substituted in its place some de- 
vice of their own. We cannot pretend, however, to give 
them all, but a few only of the more prominent and per- 
verse, leaving the reader to fill up the catalogue as he 
lists, at his leisure. 

PRESBYTERIANS. 



FOREIGN. 

Church of Geneva. 

Church of Switzerland. 

French Protestant Church. 

German Lutheran. 

Kirk of Scotland. 

Free Church of Scotland. 

Cameronians. 

Seceders. 

Burghers. 

Anti-Burghers. 

United Secession. 

Relief Church. 

Covenanters. 



DOMESTIC. 

Old-School Presbyterians. 
New- School Presbyterians. 
Cumberland Presbyterians. 
Associate Presbyterians. 
Dutch Reformed Presbyterians, 
Reformed Presbyterians. 
German Reformed. 
Lutherans. 



M E TH O DI S TS 



Methodist Episcopal. 
Protestant Methodists. 
Primitive Methodists. 



Wesley an Methodists. 
Associate Methodists. 



A THREEFOLD MINISTRY 



341 



CONGREGATION ALISTS. 
Orthodox Congregationalists. Transcendental Congregational- 
Unitarian Congregationalists. ists. 

Universalist Congregationalists. 

BAPTISTS. 

Calvinistic Baptists. Six-Principle Baptists. 

Free- Will Baptists. ' Emancipation Baptists. 

Free-Communion Baptists. Campbellite Baptists. 

Seventh-Day Baptists. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Moravians. Jumpers. 

Swedenborgians. Mennonites. 

Friends. Arians. 

Quakers. Humanitarians. 

Shakers. Sabbatarians. 

Dunkers. Sandemanians. 
Jerkers. 

List of those Churches which have made, either real 
or apparent, additions to the primitive regimen of the 
Church. 

THE ROMAN CHURCH. 

The Pope, who is called the Vicar of Jesus Christ and Vicegerent 

of God. 
Cardinals. Prebends. 

Apostolical Nuncios. Canons. 

Arch- Bishops. Prcthonotaries. 

tBishops. Arch. Priests. 

Abbots. Arch-Deacons. 

•fPriests or Presbyters. 

tDeacons. 

Sub-Deacons. 

Acolyths or Lamp lighters. 

Exorcists. 

Readers. 

Sacristans or Door-keepers. 



Denominated the 
Seven Orders. 



342 T H R E E F O L D MINISTRY RETAINED. 

THE GREEK AND RUSSIAN CHURCH. 

Patriarch, tDeacons. 

Arch- Bishops. Sub- Deacons. 

tBishops. Choristers or Chanters. 

tPriests. Lecturers or Readers. 

- THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 

The Sovereign is the Head. 

Arch-Bishops. Vicars. 

tBishops. Chancellors. 

Deans. Arch- Deacons. 

Chapters. tPresbyters. 

Prebends. tDeacons. 

A list of those Churches which have retained Episco- 
pacy, or the Threefold Ministry, without any diminution 
or addition, as it was originally ordained. The only ones 
in existence, that we know of, are 

THE SCOTCH EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 

AND 

THE AMERICAN EPISCOPAL CHURCH ; 

HAVING EACH ONLY 

THREE ORDERS OF MINISTERS, 

* VIZ. 

BISHOPS, PRESBYTERS, DEACONS. 
Q. E. D. 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION 



-" Key-stones are ye, every one, 



In God's sure house ; fountains of benison, 
Which Christ, the mighty Sea of love, supplies ; 
Visible angels lighting lower skies : 

How may we praise — how style you ; call'd alone 

To sit in sackcloth on Christ's earthly throne. 
Channels of living waters 1 golden ties. 

From Christ's meek cradle to His throne on high 1 
Bright shower drops sparkling from God's orbed light ? 

We hide our eyes, and ask what vesture bright 
Shall clothe you, gathered or from earth or sky, 

Ye chief est servants of a suffering Lord, 

The king of shame and sorrow 1 what afford 
Sky-tincaired grain to robe you ? Other dress 
Faith owns not, save her master's lowlines s." 

The Cathedral. 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 
XI. 



There is no part of our subject, that will be looked 
uj)on with greater distrust, and may be, with greater 
displeasure, by those who are inimical to the Three-fold 
Ministry of the Church, than the doctrine of Apostolical 
Succession. Of all vain things, this is one which they 
cannot away with for a moment. And the reason is, 
because they regard it as a chimera — a wild and silly 
freak of the imagination — a something which has no 
foundation, save in the idle fancy of ignorant zealots, or 
devoted tools of Priestly power ; and hence, it is usually 
classed by them among the desperate and ungodly pre- 
tensions, which High Church retainers put forth, for the 
purpose of imposing upon the credulity of mankind ; and 
saving themselves from ruin. Nay, more, it has become 
the fasljion, of late, to hold it up to public odium in such 
a way, that language can scarcely be found severe 
enough, in which to rebuke those who pretend either to 
affirm or defend it. All the low ribaldry and abuse that 
can well be conceived, is not only poured out upon the 
heads of all such pretenders ; but they are treated with 
the utmost pity and contempt. Really, one would sup- 
pose, after reading some of the Periodicals of the day, in 



346 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 

reference to this matter, that there never was such a set 
of ninny-hammers, as the advocates of Apostolical Suc- 
cessions. 

But why is this ? Is there anything in the doctrine so 
utterly heinous and absurd, as to call for such immeasur- 
able rebuke ? We cannot think it. True, we confess, 
it is mysterious and dark, just like many other things 
which lie within the covert of the past ; but then, it is 
no more mysterious or dark, than a thousand things 
which a Christian is bound to believe, and does be- 
lieve, if he has any true, genuine Faith in the Gospel of 
Jesus Christ. But the difficulty, as we imagine, consists 
not so much in a want of Faith, on the part of those who 
decry it, particularly in the entire imbecility of their 
opponents, as in their own happy ignorance of its real 
imp or and use. 

Without attempting to argue with persons of this 
character, we shall simply endeavour to show, in the 
first place, that the Apostles had successors, and then 
point out the difference between the Episcopal Succession 
and the Apostolical Succession, about which so much has 
been written and said. 

And first, in regard to the Episcopal Succession. The 
question is, had the Apostles any successors ? The an- 
swer already given, at page 130, is amply suflfcient to 
prove that they had ; and that these successors were the 
Bishops, whom they ordained and placed over the various 
Churches in Apostolic times, with authority to do the 
same to other approved and chosen men, and these again, 
to others, and so on, as long as time should last. 

We do not mean to say, however, that these first suc- 
cessors of the Apostles, or any portion of them, were en- 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 347 

dowed with svpernatural gifts and powers, like them- 
selves ; that they could speak, for example, with other 
tongues ; that they could heal the sick, or give sight to 
the blind ; that they could make the deaf hear, or the 
blind to see ; all this we now again, plainly and pointed- 
ly, disclaim ; but we do mean to say, that these Bishops 
were successors to them in the ministry of the word and 
sacraments, as well as in the oversight and government of 
the Church. These Bishops, too, had the power, like 
the Apostles, of transmitting their authority, or of per- 
petuating their office, by the imposition of hands, upon 
other good and approved men. Whether they succeeded 
each other in the same Church or Diocese, or in different 
Churches or Dioceses, it matters not. Each one was 
able to trace the line of his descent up to some Apostle, 
or to some Apostolic man, who received his commission 
directly from the Fountain-head. In no Church was there 
ever more than one such individual at a time, unless the 
infirmity or age of the incumbent rendered it absolutely 
necessary to assist him in the performance of his duties ; 
and then the latter always succeeded upon the demise of 
the former : but this was so rare an occurrence, that there 
are only two or three instances of the kind on record 
during the first three centuries. 

Now^ that there was such a succession of Bishops, in 
the primitive Church, from the Apostles onward, we shall 
prove by the testimony of the early Fathers, as hereto- 
fore. For the sake of convenience, we shall first let 
each one testify in the century where he belongs, and 
then produce the testimony of Eusebius to confirm what 
he says. Thus : 



348 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 

FIRST CENTURY. 

CLEMEN" T OE ROME. 

1. Clement of Rome says, about A. D. 95, " So like- 
wise our Apostles knew, by our Lord Jesus Christ, that 
there should contentions arise upon the account of the 
Ministry, or Priesthood.* And, therefore, having a per- 
fect foreknowledge of this, they appointed persons, as we 
have before said, and then gave direction how, when they 
should die, other chosen and approved men should suc- 
ceed in their Ministry."— Epistle to * the Corinthians, 
c. 44. 

EUSEBIUS. 

2. " After the martyrdom of James, and the capture 
of Jerusalem, which immediately followed, the report is, 
that those of the Apostles and the Disciples of our Lord, 
that were yet surviving, came together from all parts, 
with those that were related to our Lord according to the 
flesh ; for the greater part of them were yet living. 
These consulted together, to determine whom it was pro- 
per to pronounce worthy of being the successor of James. 
They all unanimously declared Simeon, the son of Cleo- 
phas, of whom mention is made in the sacred volume, as 
worthy of the Episcopal seat there. They say he was the 
cousin-german of our Saviour, for Hegesippus asserted 
that Cleophas was the brother of Joseph." — Lib. 3, 
chap. 11. 

* Literally, " concerning the office of Bishop." 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 349 

3. " In the twelfth year of the same reign, (Demi- 
tian's) after Anencletus had been Bishop of Rome twelve 
years, he was succeeded by Clement, who, the Apostle, 
in his Epistle to the Philippians, shows, had been his fel- 
low-labourer, in these words : * With Clement, and the 
rest of my fellow-labourers, whose names are in the 
Book of Life.' "—Lib. 3, chap. 15. 

4. " That Paul preached to the Gentiles, and establish- 
ed Churches from Jerusalem and around as far as Illyri- 
cum, is evident, both from his own expressions and from 
the testimony of Luke in the book of Acts. And in what 
provinces Peter also proclaimed the doctrine of Christ, 
the doctrine of the New Covenant, appears from his own 
writings, and may be seen from that Epistle we have 
mentioned as admitted in the Canon, and which he ad- 
dressed to the Hebrews in the dispersion throughout 
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. But 
how many, and which of these, actuated by a genuine 
zeal, were judged suitable to feed the Churches establish- 
ed by these Apostles, it is not easy to say, any farther 
than may be gathered from the writings of Paul. For 
he, indeed, had innumerable fellow-labourers ; or, as he 
himself calls them, fellow-soldiers in the Church. Of 
these the greater part are honoured with an indelible re- 
membrance by him in his Epistles, where he gives a 
lasting testimony concerning them. Luke, also, in his 
Acts, speaking of his friends, mentions them by name. 
Timothy, indeed, is recorded as having first received the 
Episcopate at Ephesus, as Titus, also, was appointed 
over the Churches in Crete. But Luke, who was born 
at Antioch, and by profession a Physician, being, for the 
most part, connected with Paul, and familiarly acquaint- 



350 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION 



ed with the rest of the Apostles, has left us in two in- 
spired books, the institutes of that spiritual healing art 
which he obtained from them. One of these in his Gos- 
pel, in which he testifies that he has recorded, " as those 
who were from the beginning eye-witnesses, and Min- 
isters of the word," delivered to him, whom, also, he 
says, he has in all things followed. The other is his Acts 
of the Apostles, which he composed, not from what he 
had heard from others, but from what he had seen him- 
self. It is, also, said that Paul usually referred to his 
Gospel, whenever in his Epistles he spoke of some par- 
ticular Gospel of his own, saying, " according to my 
Gospel." But of the rest that accompanied Paul, Cres- 
cens is mentioned by him as sent to Gaul. Linus, whom 
he has mentioned in his second Epistle to Timothy as 
his companion at Rome, has been before shown to have 
been thejirst after Peter, that obtained the Episcopate at 
Rome. Clement, also, who was appointed the third 
Bishop of this Church, is proved by him to have been a 
fellow-labourer and fellow-soldier with him. Beside, the 
Areopagite, called Dionysius, whom Luke has recorded 
in his Acts, after Paul's address to the Athenians, in the 
Areopagus, as the first that believed, is mentioned by 
Dionysius, another of the ancients, and pastor of the 
Church at Corinth, as the first Bishop of the Church at 
Athens. But the manner and times of the Apostolic Suc- 
cession shall be mentioned by us as we proceed in our 
course. Now let us pursue the order of our History." — 
Lib. 3, chap. 4. 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 351 

SECOND CENTURY. 

iREN^irs. 

1. Irenseus, Bishop of Lyons writes, A. D. 186 : — 
" The ApostoUc tradition is present in every Church. 
We can enumerate those who were appointed by the 
Aposties Bishops in the Churches, and their Successors, 
even to us who have taught no such thing ; neither have 
they known what is idly talked of by these (Heretics.) 
For if the Apostles had known hidden mysteries which 
they taught apart and secretly to the perfect, they would 
have delivered them to those especially to whom they com- 
mitted even the Churches themselves. For they wished 
those to be very perfect and irreprehensible in all things, 
whom they left their successors, delivering to them their 
mvn place of Government, who, acting correctly, great 
benefit would arise ; but the greatest calamity, should 
they fall away." — Lib. 3, chap. 3. See page 123. 

2 " True knowledge is the doctrine of the Apostles, 
according to the Succession of the Bishops, to whom they 
delivered the Church in every place, which doctrine hath 
reached us, preserved in its most full delivery." — Lib. 4, 
chap. 53. 

3. " Those Presbyters in the Church are to be obeyed 
who have the Succession, as we have shown from the 
Apostles ; who, with the Succession of their Episcopacy, 
have the sure gift of truth, according to the good 
pleasure of the Father." — Lib. 4, chap. 43. 

TERTULLIAN. 

4. Tertullian, Presbyter of Carthage, writes, A. D. 
190 : " Let us see what milk the Corinthians drew from 



352 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSIt)N. 

Paul ; by what rule the Galatians were reclaimed ; what 
the Philippians, Thessalonians, and Ephesians read ; 
what, likewise, our neighbour Romans say, to whom 
both Peter and Paul left the Gospel sealed with their 
blood. We have, also, Churches founded by John ; for, 
though Marcion rejects his Apocalypse, yet the order or 
Succession of Bishops^ when traced up to its original, 
will be found to have John for its author." — Adv. 
Marcion, Lib. 4. Bowden, vol. 1, p. 70. 

5. " But if any dare to thrust themselves into the 
Apostolic age, in order that they may appear to have 
been handed down from the Apostles, because they ex- 
isted under the Apostles, we may say, Let them show the 
originals of their Churches ; let them unroll the series 
of their Bishops, so running down by Successions from the 
beginning, and prove that their first Bishop had for his 
ordainer and predecessor, either some one of the Apostles, 
or Apostohc men, who continued stedfast with the 
Apostles. For in this manner the Apostolic Churches 
deduce their Successions ; as the Church of the Smyr- 
neans, for example, traces the line of its Succession up to 
Polycarp, who was placed there by St John ;* thus the 
Church of the Romans also refers us to Clement, who 
was ordained by St. Peter; and so do all the other 
Churches in like manner exhibit those, who being in- 
troduced into the Episcopate by the Apostles, were thus 
put in possession of that Apostolic seed, which they have 



• Tertullian in his Epis. to Evag. calls the Apostle on that account 
*• Polycarp's Anticessor." — See Pruen's View of the Church," vol. 
2, p. 984. 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 353 

handed down to us.* Let the Heretics produce any 
thing Uke this."— Lib. 3, chap. 32. 

E USEBIUS . 

6. " About this time flourished Poly carp in Asia, an 
intimate disciple of the Apostles, who received the Epis- 
copate of the Church at Smyrna, at the hands of the eye- 
witnesses and servants of the Lord. At this time, also, 
Papias was well known as Bishop of the Church at Hier- 
apolis, a man well skilled in all manner of learning, and 
well acquainted with the Scriptures. Ignatius, also, 
who is celebrated to this day, as the Successor of Peter 
at Antioch, was the second that obtained the Episcopal 
Office there."— Lib. 3, chap. 36. 

7. " We have not ascertained, in any way, that the 
times of the Bishops in Jerusalem, have been regularly 
preserved on record, for tradition says they all lived but 
a very short time. So much, however, have I learned 
from writers, that down to the invasion of the Jews 
under Adrian, there were Jifteen Successions of Bisliops 
in that Churchy all of which they say, were Hebrews 
from the first, and received the knowledge of Christ pure 
and unadulterated ; so that in the estimation of those 
who were able to judge, they were well approved, and 
worthy of the Episcopal Office. For, at that time, the 
whole Church under them, consisted of faithful Hebrews, 
who continued from the time of the Apostles, until the 
siege that then took place. The Jews, then, again re- 
volting from the Romans, were subdued and captured, 

• Literally " the banders down of the Apostolic Seed." — See Dau- 
beny's works, vol- 1, p. 56. 



354 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 

after very severe conflicts. In the mean time, as the 
Bishops from the circumcision failed, it may be neces- 
sary now to recount them in order, from the first. The 
first, then, was James, called the Brother of our Lord ; 
after whom, the second was Simeon, the third Justus, 
the fourth Zaccheus, the fifth Tobias, the sixth Ben- 
jamin, the seventh John, the eighth Matthew, the ninth 
Philip, , the tenth Seneca, the eleventh Justus, the 
twelfth Levi, the thirteenth Ephres, the fourteenth 
Joseph, and, finally, the fifteenth Judas. These are all 
the Bishops of Jerusalem that filled up the time from the 
Apostles, until the above-mentioned time, all of the cir- 
cumcision. And Adrian being now in the twelfth year 
of his reign, Zystus, who had now completed the tenth 
year of his Episcopate, was succeeded by Telesphorus, 
the Seventh in Succession from the Apostles. In the mean 
time, however, after the lapse of a year and some 
months, Eumenes succeeded, the sixth in order in the 
Episcopate of Alexandria, his predecessor having filled 
the office eleven years." — Lib. 4, chap. 5. 

8. " At this time, also. Narcissus, who is celebrated 
among many even to this day, was noted as Bishop of 
Jerusalem, being thejifteenth in Succession since the in- 
vasion of the Jews under Adrian. Since this event we 
have shown that the Church there consisted of Gentiles 
after those of the circumcision, and that Marcus was the 
first Bishop of the Gentiles that presided there. After 
him Cassianus held the Episcopal office ; after him fol- 
lowed Publius, then Maximus ; these were followed by 
Julian, then Caius ; after him Symmachus, and another 
Caius ; and then another Julian, who was followed by 
Capito, and Valens and Dolichianus. Last of all, Nar- 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 355 

cissus, the thirtieth in regular Succession from the Apos- 
iles."~Lih. 5, chap. 12. 

THIRD CENTURY. 

CTPRIAIT. 

1. CvIPeian, Bishop of Carthage, writes A. D. 250 ; 
" This, Brother, is, and ought to be, our principal labour 
and study, to the utmost of our power to take care that 
the unity may still obtain which was delivered by our 
Lord and by His Apostles to us, their Successors. — Epis, 
to Cornelius, Bishop of Rome. 

2. " From thence, (from our Lord's appointment of 
St. Peter,) through the course of times and successions , 
the ordination of Bishops, and the frame of the Church, 
is transmitted, so that the Church is built upon the Bish- 
ops, and all her affairs are ordered by the chief Rulers ; 
and, therefore, seeing this is God's appointment, I must 
needs wonder at the audacious daring of some who have 
chosen to write to me as if in the name of a Church, 
whereas, a Church is only constituted in the Bishop, 
Clergy, and faithful Christians." — Epistle to the Lapsed. 

riRMILIAN. 

3. Firmilian, pupil of Origen, and Bishop of Cesarea, in 
Cappadocia, writes, A. D. 254 : " The power of remitting 
sins was given to the Apostles and to the Churches, which 
they founded, and to the Bishops who succeeded to the 
Apostles by a vicarious ordination." — Epistle to Cyprian. 

EUSEE lU S, 

4. " After Cornelius had held the Episcopal OfBce at 
Rome about three years, he was succeeded by Lucius, 



356 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 

but the latter did not hold the office quite eight months, 
when dying he transferred it to Stephen." — Lib. 7, 
chap. 2. 

6. " At this time, the Episcopate in the Roman 
Church was yet held by Zystus ; but in the Church of 
Antioch, after Fabius, by Demetrianus ; of Cesarea in 
Cappadocia, by Firmilianus ; of the Churches "^n Pon- 
tus, by Gregory and his brother Athenodorus, both of 
them familiar friends of Origen. At Cesarea, however, 
of Palestine, after the death of Theoctistus, the Episcopal 
Office was conferred on Domnus, and he not surviving 
long, was succeeded by Theotecnus, our contemporary. 

He was, also, of the school of Origen, but in Jerusalem 
after the decease of Mazabanus, Hymenaus followed as 
his successor in the Episcopal seat, the same that has ob- 
tained much celebrity in our times for many years." — 
Lib. 7, chap. 14. 

6. "James being the first that received the dignity of 
the Episcopate at Jerusalem, from our Saviour himself, 
as the sacred Scriptures show that he was generally 
called the brother of Christ ; this See, which has been 
preserved until the present times, has ever been held in 
veneration by the brethren that have followed in the 
succession there, in which they have sufficiently shown 
what reverence both the ancients and those of our times 
exhibited, and still exhibit, towards holy men on account 
of their piety. But, enough of this." — Lib. 7, chap. 19. 

REMARXS. 

It would be an easy matter to make a volume of just 
such extracts out of the writings of Eusebiusand others ; 
but the specimens given, are surely sufficient to prove be- 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 



357 



yond all doubt, that the Apostles had successors ; that 
these successors, were the bishops of the various Churches, 
whom they appointed in their stead, previous to their 
death, and to whom they gave like powers, in order that 
their office of Government and oversight, might be per- 
petuated to the latest ages, in connection with the Min- 
istry, the doctrine, the worship of the Church. Of most 
of the Bishops so appointed, Eusebius has given a com- 
plete list, down to the beginning of the fourth century, 
in accordance with his plan, which he declares in the 
outset to be " to record the successions of the Holy 
Apostles,, together with the times of our Saviour down to 
the present." For examples of these successions, the 
following are given as they stand connected with the 
four principal Churches or Dioceses of the day, during 
the first three Centuries, taken from the most authentic 
records. Nay, in most instances, from the very records 
preserved in these Churches. — Thus : 

BISHOPS OF JERUSALEM. 



NAMES OF BISHOPS. 


A.D. 


NAMES OF BISHOPS. 


A. D. 


1 James Alpheus, one of the 


20 Julian, .... 


163 


Apostles, . 


35 


21 Caius 


165 


2 Simeon 


60 


22 Svmmachus, . 


168 


3 Justus I 


107 


23 Caius, .... 


170 


4 Zaccheus, .... 


111 


24 Julian, .... 


173 


5 Tobias, 


112 


25 Maximus H., ... 


178 


6 Benjamin, 


117 


26 Antonius, . . 


162 


7 Jolm 


119 


27 Capito, .... 


186 


8 Matthew, 


121 


28 Valens, . . 


191 


9 Philip, 


122 


29 Dolchianus. 


194 


10 Seneca 


126 


30 Narcissus, (resigned) 


196 


11 Justus U., 


127 


31 Dius, 


200 


12 Levi, .... 


123 


32 Germanio, 


207 


13 Ephraim, 


129 


33 Gordius and Narcissus again, 


211 


14 Joseph 


131 


34 Alexander, 


2:^7 


15 Judas, (last Jewish Bp.) 


1.32 


35 Mazabanes, 


251 


16 Marcus, (first Gentile Bp.) 


134 


36 Hymenaeus, 


275 


17 Cassianus, 


146 


37 Zambdas, . . 


298 


18 Publius, .... 


154 


38 Uermon, 


300 


19 Maxiraus I. . . . 


. 159 







15' 



358 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 




ALEXANDRIA. 




NAMES OF BISHOPS. 


NAMES OF BISHOPS. 




1 Anianus, St. Mark's successor. 


10 .Julius. 




2 Avilius. 


11 Demetrius. 




3 Cerdon. 


12 Heraclas. 




4 Primus. 


13 Dionysius. 




5 Justus. 


14 Maximus. 




6 Euraenes. 


15 Theonus. 




7 Marcus. 


16 Peter. 




8 Celadin. 


A. D. 302. 




9 Agrippinua. 






ANTIOCH. 




NAMES OF BISHOPS. 


NAMES OF BISHOPS. 




1 Evodius. 


11 Zebinus. 




2 Ignatius. 


12 Babylus. 




3 Heros. 


13 Fabius. 




4 Cornelius. 


14 Demetrianus. 




5 Eros. 


15 Paul. 




6 Theophilus. 


16 Domnus. 




7 Maximus. 


17 Timaeus. 




8 Serapion. 


18 Cyril lus. 




9 Asclepiades. 


19 Tyrannus. 




10 Philetus. 


A. D. 302. 




CriURCH OF ROME. 




FIRST CENT URY. 




NAMES OF BISHOPS. DIED OR MARTYRED, A.D. | 


1 Linus, alluded to in St. Paul's Epistle to Timothy, " 


79 


2 Anencletus, " 


91 


3 Clement, Drowned in the sea 


100 


SECOND CENTURY. 




4 Evaristus, Martyred, 


108 


5 Alexander. A Roman, " 


118 


6 Zystus, or Sixtus. Do " 


128 


7 Telesphorus, " 


138 


8 Hyginus, " 


141 


9 Pius, " 


155 
166 


10 Anicetus, " 


11 Soter, " 


174 


12 Eleuiherus.* A Greek, Died, 


187 


13 Victor. An African, Martyred, 


198 


THIRD C E N TUR Y. 




14 Zephyrinus, Died, 


216 


15 Callistus, Martyred, 


221 


16 Urban, Beheaded, 


229 


17 Pontianus, Martyred, 


235 


18 Antenus. One month, Slain, 


236 


19 Fabian, Martyred, 


250 


20 Cornelius, .... Banished, Beaten, Beheaded, 


252 


21 Lucius, Martyred, 


253 


22 Stephen. A Roman, Slain, 


257 


23 Sixtus, M-irtyred, 


258 


24 Dionysius, Died, 


269 


2.5 Felix ■ . Martyred, 


274 


26 Eutychianus. A Tuscan, 


283 


27 Caius. A Dalmatian, " 


296 


28 Marcellinus, " 


304 


* {):5°0nly three out of twenty-eight Bishops of Rome, during the first three | 


centuries died a natural death ; all the rest were Martyrs ! 





APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION 



359 



The above are examples of what is denominated the Episcopal 
Succession, (i. e.) a succession of Bishops, or Governors, of single 
Churches or Sees, from the Apostles ; and it differs from the Apos- 
toliccd Succession in this, that while the former may or maij not have 
been concerned in any consecrations, the latter have acted as princi- 
pals in transmittmg the Apostolic seed to those who succeeded them. 
The line of succession, therefore, is traced through these principals, 
and these only, although, if it were necessary, it might be traced 
through all those who were present and assisting at the ordination of 
any Bishop. The following is a list of such, from Augustine, who 
was consecrated first Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, in the latter part of 
the sixth century, A. D. 596, by two Bishops, from two separate and 
distinct branches of the Episcopal Succession, down to Bishop White, 
in the eighteenth century, who was the first American Prelate, through 
this line, and who acted as principal, except in one single instance, 
(when he assisted,) of the first twenty-seven Bishops, whose conse- 
crations were performed on this side the Atlantic, so late as A. D. 
1835. 



St. John 

ordained 

1 Polycarp Bp. of Smyrna, A. D. 82. 

BISHOPS OF LYONS. 

2 (1) Pothinus, ordaia'd by Polycarp. 

3 (3) Irenaeus, succeeded Pothinus. 

A. D. 177 

4 (3) Zachariag. 

5 (4) Elias. 

6 (5) Faustinas, 

7 (6) Verus. 

8 (7) .lulius. 

9 (8) Ptolemy. 

10 (9) Vockis. 

11 (10) Maximus. 

12 (11) Tretradus. 

13 (12) Verissimus. 

14 (13) Justus, . . . A.D. 374 

15 (14) Albinua, 

16 (15) Martin, 

17 (16) Antiochus, 

18 (17) Elpidius, 

19 (18) Sicariiis, 

20 (19) Eucherius L, . . [A.D. 427 

21 (20) Patiens, ... 451 

22 (21) Lupicinus, 

23 (22) Rusticus, . . . 494 

24 (23) Stephanas, . , 499 

25 (24) Vivcntiolus, . . 515 

26 (25) Eucherius II., . 524 

27 (26) Lupus, . . . 538 

28 (27) Licontius, . . 542 

29 (28) Sacerdos, . . 549 

30 (29) Nicetus, . , 552 

31 (30) Priscus, ... 573 

32 (31) .^THERius, . . 589 



EPISCOPAL SUCCESSION. 



BISHOPS OF ARLES. 



(1) Trophlinus, 

(2) Regulus. 

(3) Martin L, . 

(4) Victor, 

(5) Marinus, . 

(6) Martin II., 

(7) Valentine, 

(8) Saturnius, 
( ) Artemius, 

(10) Concerdius, 

(11) Heros, 

(12) Patroclus, 

(13) Ilonoratus, 

(14) Hilary, 

(15) llaverius, . 

(16 ) Augustalis, 

(17) Leontius, . 

(18) Nonius, . 

(19) Ca;seriug, . 

(20) Ananius, . 

(21) Aurelian, . 

(22) Sapandus, 

(23) Licerius, 

(24) ViROILIUS, 



A.D. 254 
266 
313 

346 
353 

374 

412 
426 
433 
449 
455 
462 
492 
506 
543 
546 
557 
586 
588 



360 



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APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 866 

By this time, it must be apparent to every intelligent 
reader, that the doctrine of the Apostolical Succession, 
is not quite such a chimera as some people imagine. If 
it be a chimera, it certainly has some pretty good evi- 
dence to sustain it. Nay, if it be a chimera, it is one of 
very long continuance. Instead of expiring in its em- 
bryo, we see that it has lived on and on for ages, gathering 
might and strength as it goes. That it has not been 
devised merely for the purpose of imposing upon mankind 
in these latter days, we need not say ; but every one can 
see that it is as old as Christianity itself. It is a sub- 
ject which fills the records of the past, from the earliest 
ages. All the early Fathers speak of it, and give us to 
understatid, that it was as much a doctrine of the Church 
in their day, as the Trinity, or any other truth. And 
not only so, but they deduce in proof of their assertion, 
the successions of various Churches, from the times of 
the Apostles, as positive evidence of the fact. No man 
who has read the writings of Clement and Irengeus, 
Cyprian and Eusebius, can doubt it for a moment. In- 
deed, such is the evidence in favour of this early and 
favourite principle of succession, that we might with 
quite as much propriety denominate Christianity itself a 
chimera, as the doctrine now maintained. In fact, 
there is just as good evidence to believe that this suc- 
cession was maintained, as that the succession of kings 
was maintained in Israel or in any other state. 

And yet, we have no doubt about the latter, and why 
should we about the former 1 True, indeed, there may 
be some apparent break in the chain of consecrators, 
which we are not now able to make up from any records 
extant. Desolating wars have made sad havoc of the 



366 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 

scrolls which the Church had carefully stored away. 
Time itself has laid his hand upon many more ; but still, 
under all these disadvantages, there is enough known to 
let us see the infinite care and pains that were taken by 
Holy men of old to make the matter sure. They were 
anxious that no suspicion or doubt should rest upon the 
succession of their Bishops. 

Although one Bishop was enough to transmit the 
Apostolic seed or chain ; yet they took very good care, 
that it should not depend upon one or even two. Ac- 
cordingly, it was a standing law of the Church, from the 
very earliest times, that a Bishop should be ordained by 
at least three lawfully-constituted Bishops ;* and if more 
were present, of course more assisted, insomuch, 'that in- 
stead of three, the Canonical number, there were often- 
times, eight, ten, fifteen, twenty, nay, whole Synods 
were present to witness or assist at the consecration of a 
Bishop for some of the larger Sees. The exceeding 
jealousy or w^atchfalness which has ever existed in the 
Church, in reference to this subject, rendered it morally 
impossible for any man either to obtain the Episcopate 
or the possession of a See, without being duly consecrated 
thereto : in fact, so much so, that we can scarcely 
imagine how the doctrine of a regular and uninterrupted 
succession of Bishops can be questioned. If it be, it 
must be one of those chimeras which men in modern 
times have devised, for the purpose of casting a doubt or 
a shade over all the records of the past. Surely our 
forefathers did not think so. The Reformers did not 
think so. The wise and holy men of all parties and all 

* Apostolical Canons. — Canon I. 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 367 

.creeds before us, did not think so. Although they might 
differ as to the channel through which the Apostolical 
descent might flow : yet they all concurred in uphold- 
ing it, to a man. Thus writes the learned 

BI S HOP BURNET. 

We affirm that Christ appointed a succession of Pas- 
tors in different ranks, to be continued in his Church, 
for the work of the Gospel, and the care of souls ; and 
that, as the Apostles settled the Churches, they appoint- 
ed different orders of Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons ; 
and we believe that all who are dedicated to serve in 
these Ministries, after they are examined and judged 
worthy of them, ought to be separated to them by the 
imposition of hands, and by prayer." — Exposition of 
Art. 25. 

BISHOP JEREMY TAYLOR. 

'• The belief of the' primitive Church is, that Bishops 
are the ordinary successors of the Apostles, and Presbyters 
of the seventy-two, and, therefore, did believe that Epis- 
copacy is as truly of Divine institution as the Apostolate, 
for the ordinary office both of one and the other is the 
same thing." — Episcopacy Asserted. 

BISHOP S TILLINGELE ET . 

"There is as great reason to believe the Apostolical 
Succession to be of Divine institution, as the Canon of 
Scripture, or the observation of the Lord's day." 

BISHOP SHERLOCK. 

"The Apostles, upon the death of our Saviour, suc- 
ceeded to the Government and direction of the Church ; 



368 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 

they were commissioned to feed and rule the flock in 
his stead and in his name. Under them were placed 
teachers and pastors of different orders. These offices 
have been perpetuated in the Church by a constant sue- 
cession of men duly called to them ; and the present 
Governors and Pastors of it stand in the same degree of 
nearness and relation to Christ." — Sherlock's Dis- 
courses. 

LESLIE. 

T he Apostles were instituted by Christ the first 
Governors of his Church ; and with them and his succes- 
sors he has promised to be to the end of the world. The 
Apostles did ordain Bishops, as Governors in all the 
Churches which they planted throughout the whole 
world; and these Bishops esteemed the successors of 
the ApostleSi each in his own Church from the begin- 
ning to this day. This was the current notion and 
language of antiquity : omnes Apostolorium successores 
sunt : that all Bishops were the successors of the Apos- 
tles. As St. Jerome speaks, Epist. ad Evagr. And St. 
Ignatius, who was constituted by the Apostles Bishop of 
Antioch, salutes the Church of the Trallians, " In the 
plenitude of the Apostolical character.''^ Thus, it con- 
tinued from the days of the Apostles to those of John 
Calvin : in all which time, there was not any one Church, 
in the whole Christian world, that was not Episcopal." 
— Scholar Armed. 

WILLIAM LAW, 

" The Ministers of Christ are as much positive ordi- 
nances, as the sacraments ; and we might as well think 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 



369 



that Sacraments not instituted by him, might be means 
of grace, as those pass for his Ministers, who have no 
authority from him. 

" Once more, all things are either in common in the 
Church of Christ, or they are not : if they are, then 
every one may preach, baptize, ordain, &c. If all things 
are not thus common, but the administering of the Sacra- 
ment, and Ordination, &;c. are officers appropriated to 
particular persons ; then I desire to know how, in this 
present age, or any other, since the Apostles, Christians 
can know their respective duties, or what they may or 
may not do, with respect to the several acts of Church 
Communion, if there be no uninterrupted succession of 
authorized persons from Christ ; for, till authority from 
Christ appears, to make a difference between them, we 
are all alike, and any one may officiate as well as another. 

** To make a jest, therefore, of the uninterrupted suc- 
cession, is to make a jest of Ordination, to destroy the 
sacred character, and make all pretenders to it, as good 
as those that are sent by Christ. 

^^ If there he no uninterrupted succession, then there are 
no authorized Ministers from Christ ; if no such Min- 
isters, then no Christian Sacraments ; if no Christian 
Sacraments, then no Christian Covenant, whereof the 
Sacraments are the stated and visible seals." — Letters to 
the Bishop of Bangor, in the " Scholar Armed." 

ARCHDEACON WIZ. 



** Before He ascended, however, He gave to certain 
persons, who were on that account, called Apostles, a 
commission to preach, to baptize, and to instruct, in his 
name, and he promised that ' always, even unto the end 



370 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 

of the world,' He would be with them. By this it was 
clearly meant that he would be with those who should 
follow these Apostles in the same office to the end of the 
world. 

" To these Apostles Christ gave the right of appoint- 
ing, under Him, other teachers to succeed them, as He, 
under the Father, had appointed them to succeed Him ; 
for he says to them * As the Father hath sent me, even 
so send I you.' The Apostles thus understood our Lord, 
and they acted upon this commission, ordaining succes- 
sors^ and settling with Episcopal authority, all things be- 
longing to the Church. Those Clergy, then, who have 
received the commission to preach, and to administer 
the Holy Sacraments, through an uninterrupted succes- 
sion of Episcopal Ordinations from the time of these 
Apostles, are to be looked upon as having received quite 
as undoubted a commission from Christ Himself, as if 
Christ had personally called them and ordained them for 
the Ministry." — Address delivered to the St. John's Sun- 
day Schools, Newfoundland. 

BISHOP SEABURY. 

" The commission is express : 'As my Father hath 
sent me, even so send I you.' Now, that the Father 
sent Christ to send others, is evident from this circum- 
stance, that he did send others ; for, He did nothing but 
according to the will and commandment of the Father. 
If, then, the Father sent Christ to send others, and, 
Christ sent His Apostles as His Father sent him, he sent 
them to send others. Their successors, also, must have 
had the same power of sending, and it was their duty to 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 371 

use it as the exigencies of the Church should require. 
Thus, the perpetual continuance of the Apostolical power 
in the Church would be secured by a perpetual succession 
of Governors in it with Apostolical authority. Nor is 
there any other way by which the promise of Christ to 
his Apostles, when he invested them with their commis- 
sion, as it is related by St. Matthew, can be made good. 
" Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the 
world." For, the Apostles being dead, if they have left 
no successors, or if the succession has failed, the promise 
of Christ has failed ; and his Church is^ now without 
governors, or preachers, or any to dispense its ordinances 
and discipline. For, how can a man execute the office 
of a Governor in his Church, but by his appointment 1 
Or, how can he preach except he be sent ? or administer 
either Sacrament or discipline in the Church of God, 
but by the appointment of God." — The Apostolical Com- 
mission, in vol. 1 of Sermons. 

iBISHOP RAVENS CHOFT. 

" That the succession from the Apostles of the Lord 
Jesus Christ in the Protestant Episcopal Church of Great 
Britain, and consequently of America, has been traced ; 
and the individuals through whom it runs, named, both 
through the British Bishops, from the first planting of 
Christianity in that Island before the close of the first 
century, and, also, through the Bishops of the Western 
or Latin Church, down to the present day, is a matter of 
notoriety to every student of Ecclesiastical History ; 
and, however, the lists therein given may be doubted or 
disputed, there is such weight of testimony in their favour 
as can only be overcome by contrary evidence. From 



372 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 

the ancient British Historians, two things are clear — 
First, the line of succession in that Church is traced 
through the Bishops, and not through the Presbyters, 
Secondly, this succession is traced by these historians 
through the Archiepiscopal See of London, until the ar- 
rival of Augustine, the monk, in Briton, in the seventh 
century ; after which, the See was removed to Canter- 
bury, through which it is subsequently traced. And not 
only the ancient historians of Britain, but those, also, of 
other countries where Christianity was planted, do show, 
without exception, that the Government of the Church 
of Christ was Episcopal, and not Presbyterian. There 
being not a record extant^ nor even an intimation in any 
historian, of a single Church, in any country, founded 
and governed on the Presbyterian principle, previous to 
the sixteenth century" — Ravenscroft's Works, vol. I. 

REV. DR. JOHNM. MASON, of New York, 
PRESBYTERIAN. 

" Our Lord Jesus Christ delivered their commission to 
his Apostles in terms which necessarily imply a perpetual, 
and regularly successive Ministry, Go ye, and teach 
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching 
them to observe all things whatsoever I have command- 
ed you ; and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the 
end of the world ! That this command and promise, 
though immediately addressed, were not limited to the 
Apostles, is so obvious as almost to shame an argument. 
But since we are sometimes required to prove that two 
and two make four, we remark — First, that as the com- 
mand is to teach all nations, it must spread as far, and 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 373 

last as long, as nations shall be found. It is, therefore, 
a command to make the Christian religion universal, 
and to perpetuate it from generation to generation. 
Secondly, that as the Apostles were shortly to *' put off 
their tabernacles," the command could not possibly be 
fulfilled by them, it seems parallel with the existence of 
nations. It must, therefore, be executed by others, in 
every age, who are to carry on the work which the Apos- 
tles began ; and who, by the very terms of the command- 
ment, are identified with them in the general spirit of 
their commission, which is to preach the doctrines, en- 
force the precepts, and administer the ordinances of 
Jesus Christ. Thirdly, that the promise, *' I am with 
you, even to the end of the world," cannot, without pal- 
pably absurdity, be restricted to the persons, nor to the 

day of the Apostles The promise, then, as well as 

precept, reaches to the end of time ; and like the pre- 
cept, embraces a successive ministry, to whom our 
Lord Jesus has engaged the continuance of his gracious 
presence. Again, the Apostles themselves acted upon 
the principle of a perpetual Ministry. " They ordained 
Presbyters in every Church." Paul has left in his Epis- 
tles to Timothy and Titus, as a part of the rule of faith 
and practice, particular directions for the choice of 
Bishops or Presbyters, and Deacons." 

REV. DR. HOPKINS, of New England. 
CONGKEGATIONALIST. 

" If there be evidence from the Scriptures, that such an 
order and succession of men, as officers in the Church, 
has been instituted by Christ, and is implied in the com- 
mission which he gave to his disciples, " Go ye, and teach 
_ 



374 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 

all nations, baptizingthem in the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to ob- 
serve all things, whatsoever I have commanded you : And 
lo I am vnth you always even unto the end of the world.*' 
This is sufficient proof that such a succession of min- 
isters does, in fact, take place in the visible Church of 
Christ ; and that this commission has been transmitted 
down from one to another, from that time to this day : 
and this succession has not been interrupted, and will not 
be, to the end of the world. This, therefore, may safely, 
and with all desirable certainty, be taken for granted, 
without any farther positive proof, by every Minister of 
the Gospel, unless there be strong positive evidence that 
such succession has been interrupted, with respect to 
him ; and that he has been irregularly introduced to that 
office by him or them, who have not had their commission 
and authority to ordain, handed down by succession 
from the Apostles to them." 



REV. J. GUMMING. 
MINISTER OF THE KIRK OF SCOTLAND. 

** All our old Scottish Divines, among whom the Gil- 
lespies occupy a prominent place, held Apostolical 
SUCCESSION, not only to be the possession, but the high 
and happy privilege of our Presbyters. In fact, I can- 
not but believe that the question of Apostolical Succession 
involves and includes the question of ordination or non- 
ordination But wherein do we differ about suc- 
cession ? In the Church of England it is generally sup- 
posed to descend in the line of Bishops, and with us, in 



APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 375 

the line of Presbyters, .... It is this view that leads 
us TO regard the independents as Christians with- 
out A Church, and to insis) on the ordination of In- 
dependent Ministers before they could hold a benefice or 
ojiciate in our communion,^ ^ 

" There is not a Clergyman in the Church of Scot- 
land, who would continue to hold his benefice with In- 
dependent Ordination ; and sure I am, that there is not 
one who dares avow his preference for it ; for against no 
form of Church Government has the Scottish (Pres- 
byterian) Church made a firmer stand than that of Con- 
gregationalism or Independency. The orders of an 
Episcopal Minister are distinctly admitted an sustained 
by the Church of Scotland, but those of Independency 
are treated, and justly, as no right Scriptural Ordination. 
Indeed, apart from all considerations of Ministerial Suc- 
cession, nothing can open so effectually a door to every 
extravagance in doctrine, and every arrogant assumption 
of fanaticism, as the plan of Independence. The man 
that conceives, justly or unjustly, that he has a call from 
God to enter on the Ministry, has only to bring together 
a few as wild and well-meaning as himself, and in a 
twinkling be registered as the Rev. Mr. Such-a-one, 
Minister of the Church assembling in such a chapel, and 
in proportion to the success of such empiricism, will be 
the rarity of learning and weight in the Christian Min- 
istry / hold the importance of Ministerial Succes- 
sion from the days of the Apostles : I claim it for my 
own beloved co-presbyters ; and I cannot see that, be- 
cause this great truth has been abused, it is to be tram- 
pled on and despised, as it has been by many who have 
plunged into the opposite extreme." — Extracts from Bp. 



376 APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION. 

Henshaw's pamphlet on " The only Ministry recognized 
in the Church." 

After such men as these have spoken so pointedly and 
plainly in behalf of the Apostolic Succession, it seems 
hardly worth our while to add another word. For we 
conceive it to be a doctrine, not only so well authen- 
ticated, but so well established by the testimony of all 
men, in all ages, that we should just as soon think of 
questioning whether " day and night, summer and winter, 
seed time and harvest," have run their ceaseless round, 
ever since the world began, as this same doctrine of suc- 
cession. In the language of an eminent Prelate,* we 
may fearlessly say, " Of this there is so perfect record 
in all the histories and fathers of the Church, that I much 
muse, with what face men, who have any taste of 
learning, can deny that the vocation of Bishops came 
from the Apostles. For, if their succession be Apostolic, 
their function cannot choose but be likewise Apostolic ; 
and that they succeed the Apostles and Evangelists in 
their Churches and chairs, may inevitably be proved, if 
any Christians, persons, or Churches, deserve to be 
credited. "f If this be so, we care not how much those 
who deny the doctrine of the Apostolical Succession, may 
ridicule the idea. Neither do we care by what name 
they call it ; whether it be by the common one of a 
fiction, or the more popular one of '* a dogma :" it is a 
matter of perfect indifference to us. And, although, they 
may rail at us, as we presume they will ; yet, so long 
as we have the Fathers on our side, coupled with the tes- 
timony of the wise and good of every land, we say to one 
and all such, in God's name, rail on ! 

* Bishop Bilson. t Daubeny's Works, vol. 1, p. 50. 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 



"Thus, when she made the Church her hallow'd shrine, 

Founded on Jesus Christ, the Corner-stone, 

With Prophets, and Apostles, and the Line 

Of order'd Ministers, Truth ever one. 

Not here or there, but on the whole hath shone. 

Whilst Heresies arise of varying clime, 

And varying form and colour, the true Sun, 

One and the same through all advancing time. 

The whole His mansion makes, vast, uniform, sublime." 

Lyra Apostoliea. 





fMiiiiiiifl 

iliiiiiiii 



r^^^^i 




HERESY AND SCHISM. 
XII, 

If we are not egregiously deceived, it has been repeat- 
edly and clearly shown, that thare were Three distinct 
Orders of Ministers appointed by our Saviour and his 
Apostles, for the service of the Church ; that these Orders 
were so constituted, under chief Governors or Bishops, 
in every instance, as to form one uniform and complete 
regimen, which we denominate Episcopal ; that these 
Orders were perpetuated by them, from the days of the 
Apostles, through every age and nation under Heaven, 
without opposition or restraint, wherever Christianity ob- 
tained, until the period of the Reformation, and thence 
onward, through the Protestant branch of the Episcopal 
Church to the present time ; thus proving, beyond all 
reasonable doubt, that this Ministry was both Apostolical 
and Divine. 

Now, if this be so, it may not be amiss to inquire, 
whether we are at liberty to reject a Ministry or re- 
gimen thus constituted and ordained by Christ, who is 
" Head over all things to his Church," for the purpose of 
substituting in its stead some device of our own? Such 
a question, perhaps, would strike us with surprise, and 
even with horror, were it now for the first time mooted, 



380 HERESY AND SCHISM. 

because it would be viewed by all unprejudiced minds as 
a proposition to encourage treason or rebellion against a 
wise enactment of Heaven ; and then, that if it were 
lawful to do so in one instance, it might be lawful, as 
well as convenient, to do so in another, till every vestige 
of God's government was perilled and despised ; but 
since the thing has been done, and that, too, with impu- 
nity, by myriads of our race, it may not be altogether 
without profit, to inquire, whether those who act thus, in 
reference to the Ministry, as we have described it, are 
not resisting an ordinance of God, and doing despite 
unto the Spirit of Grace ; or whether they are not in a 
state of actual rebellion against the known authority of 
Heaven, and thus provoking the Holy One of Israel to 
anger, by their obstinate refusal to receive what He en- 
joins ? 

If the Ministry is truly a matter of Divine, and not 
human appointment, those who reject it, and set up some- 
thing else in its place, do, as we verily believe, array 
themselves in direct hostility to the government of God. 
And while we have no wish to indulge in any harsh or 
opprobrious terms, in reference to the conduct of such, 
yet truth, and justice, and conscience, all compel us to 
say, that in our judgment, as well as in the judgment of 
some of the wisest and purest men that have ever Hved, 
they are guilty, not only of Heresy, but also of Schism. 

And were we asked to explain ourselves, or to give 
some substantial reasons for the utterance of this charge, 
we should do it most cheerfully, by defining what we 
mean by Heresy and Schism. 

And first, in regard to Heresy : What is it ? If we 
understand the matter, it means simply a choice^ a pecu- 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 881 

liar opinion, a sect ; or, in other words, a body of men 
who are distinguished from others on account of the sin 
gularity of their views in relation to some important sub 
ject ; and hence, if that subject be an ecclesiastical one, 
as is generally the case, then Heresy is reduced to this 
standing rule, which indicates it to be an opinion of pri 
vate men adverse to the catholic or orthodox faith. 

The word was not used originally, however, in a bad 
sense. The Sadducees, for example, were called a sect, 
or heresy, in order to distinguish them from other sects 
or heresies, like the Pharisees and Essenes, prevalent 
among the Jews. And although Christianity could not 
be classed among these, yet it is a well-known fact, that 
because those who maintained it, held sentiments diame- 
trically opposed not only to the Jews, but to the Gentiles 
also, it was denominated by them, a heresy^ or sect. 
Sometimes, it is true, this appellation was attached to it 
without much meaning, but generally, it was " a heresy 
everywhere spoken against." Those who were willing 
that every other sect should have a peaceable existence, 
armed themselves to the teeth against this. Accordingly, 
when St. Paul was arraigned before Felix, the only charge 
preferred against him by his enemies was, that he had 
taught this heresy. And it was this which prompted him 
to say, in his noble defence before that monarch, " But 
this t confess unto thee, that after the way which they 
call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers." Acts 
xxiv. 14. 

It was not long, therefore, before the word came to be 

used in a bad sense, not only by the enemies, but by the 

friends of Christianity. Thus, for instance, when any 

one entertained an opinion in any way injurious to the 

- _ 



382 HERESY AND SCHISM. 

interests of their religion, or to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 
it was denominated a heresy. And hence, when St. 
Peter wrote to the tribes scattered throughout Pontus, 
Gallatia, Cappadocia, &;c., he forewarns them by saying, 
" There shall be false teachers among you, who shall 
privily bring in damnable heresies, even denying the 
Lord that bought them." 2 Pet. ii. 1. And so it came 
to pass ; for not only did this very thing occur, but in- 
numerable other heresies sprang up in a very little while, 
one of which is mentioned by St. John in the Revela- 
tions,* and others by some of the early Fathers of the 
Church, insomuch that they may well be termed " Le- 
gion." The most of these were erroneous views of 
Divine truth, and therefore, were called Heresies. But 
it was not long before the same word was applied to de- 
signate every opinion that was contrary to the view en- 
tertained by the majority of Christians, either in respect 
to the ministry, or the worship, or the government of the 
Church. 

Thus, for example, when Aerius asserted that Presby- 
ters were equal to Bishops, and that he had just as good 
a right to ordain others to the sacred Ministry as they, 
that was denominated heresy, because it was contrary, 
not merely to the faith, but the practice of the Church. 
And this, by the way, was the first time that such doc- 
trines were broached. Those who are acquainted with 
the circumstances,! assure us that it was not until the 
fourth century that such claims were set up ; and then 
they were advanced by a man who had been outstripped 
by a fellow-pupil, by the name of Eustathius, in a con- 

* Chap. ii. 6—15. t Hooker, vol.2, p. 279. 



HERESY AND SCHISM 



393 



test for an Episcopate. In order to sustain himself, how- 
ever, in the stand which he had taken, he used the very 
same arguments that are now used by those who main- 
tain the same sentiments. One of these was, that the 
Apostles sometimes addressed their letters to Priests and 
Deacons, at others to Bishops and Deacons, and hence, 
he inferred, that because these words were used promis- 
cuously in speaking of the same persons, that therefore 
there was no difference between a Bishop and a Presby- 
ter or Priest. An assertion, says a contemporary writer,* 
who gives the account, which is " stultitiae plena," (i. e.) 
fulloffolly.f 

But how, it may be asked, were such sentiments re- 
garded ? or rather, how was the author of them treated ? 
Was he allowed to go about propagating these views, 
not only to the prejudice of his superiors, but to the pre- 
judice and detriment of the Church ? Was he permitted 
to hold them, and yet be acknowledged as a good and 
faithful Presbyter of the Church, as some in our day are, 
who hold the same views 1 ^Alas ! no. Far from it. 
The Church would not countenance such a fellow. A 
Council was immediately convened. Aerius was arraign- 
ed and tried ; and such was the feeling against him, that 
he was not only degraded from the Ministry, but he was 
also excommunicated from the Church, for merely enter- 
taming such opinions ! 

Much as we dislike the views which Aerius expressed 
in relation to these subjects, we think the proceedings 
against him were unnecessarily severe ; but we suppose 
that those who had the management of the affair, under- 



Epiphanius. 



t Daubeny's Works, vol. i. p. 46. 



384 HERESY AND SCHISM. 

stood the matter better than we, and were determined, if 
possible, to make such an example of him, as to prevent 
the recurrence of a similar offence. They meant to 
show, and did show, by their decision, that these opinions 
were so contrary to the faith and practice of the Church, 
that no man could hold them with impunity. For she 
never held that Presbyters were equal to Bishops, and 
that Presbyters had as good a right to ordain as they, as 
Aerius asserted ; but her doctrine ever was directly the 
reverse, if the standard writers of the day are received as 
evidence of the fact. Thus, for example, let us look 
into the writings of 

IGNATIUS. 

" I cried whilst I was among you, I spake with a loud 
voice. Attend to the Bishop, and to the Presbytery and 
Deacons. Now some supposed that I spake this as fore- 
seeing the division that should come among you. But 
He is my witness, for whose sake I am in bonds, that I 
knew nothing from any man ; but the Spirit spake, say- 
ing on this wise : Do nothing without the Bishop ; keep 
your bodies as the temples of God ; love unity ; flee divi- 
sions ; be the followers of Christ, as He was of his Fa- 
ther." — Epist. to the Philadelphians. 

" See that ye all follow your Bishop, as Jesus Christ 
the Father ; and the Presbytery as the Apostles ; and 
reverence the Deacons, as the command of God. Let 
no man do anything of what belongs to the Church sepa- 
rately from the Bishop. Let that Eucharist be looked 
upon as well established, which is either offered by the 
Bishop, or by him to whom the Bishop has given his con- 
sent. Wheresoever the Bishop shall appear, there let 



HESESY AND SCHISM. 385 

the people aJso be ; as where Jesus Christ is, there is the 
Catholic Church. // is not lawful without the Bishop, 
either to baptize, or to celebrate the Holy Communion ; 
but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing 
unto God ; that so, whatsoever is done, may be sure and 
well done." 

" It is a good thing to have a due regard both to God 
and to the Bishop : he that honours the Bishop, shall be 
honoured of God. But he that does anything without 
his knowledge, ministers unto the Devil. Let all things, 
therefore, abound to you in charity ; seeing ye are wor- 
thy." — Epis. to the Smy means. 

T E R T U L L I A N . 

" To conclude my little work, it remaineth that I give 
an admonition also concerning the right rule of giving 
and receiving Baptism, The right of giving it, indeed, 
hath the Chief Priest, which is the Bishop : then the 
Presbyters and Deacons ; yet not without the authority 
of the Bishops, for the honour of the Church." — Tract 
de Baptismo. 

CTPRI AN. 

♦' The Bishop is in the Church, and the Church in the 
Bishop ; they who are not with the Bishop, are not in 
the Church ; and they miserably deceive themselves, who, 
not maintaining communion with the Bishops of God, 
think cunningly to insinuate themselves into the Church, 
by communicating with certain others ; whereas the 
Church, which is one and catholic, will not endure sepa- 
ration and schism, but is united and consolidated through 



386 HERESY AND SCHTSM. 

all its parts, by the cement of an united Episcopate." — 
Epis. 69. 

Here, surely, is evidence enough to show that Bishops 
and Presbyters were not the same ; but, on the contrary, 
that the Bishops were everything to a Church, insomuch, 
that where there was no Bishop, there was said to be no 
Church. And then, again, in regard to ordination, which 
was the other point of the claim set up by Aerius for Pres- 
byters, it is manifest, that if Presbyters could neither 
baptize nor do anything else without the consent of the 
Bishop, they could not ordain, because this has ever been 
considered one of the highest prerogatives of a Bishop. If 
Presbyters could not perform the lesser service without 
the approbation of the Bishop, it cannot be supposed, 
that they could perform the higher function without a 
like permission. But this they never had. Indeed, ac- 
cording to Aerius, there was no necessity for obtaining 
it, because Presbyters had just as good a right to ordain 
as Bishops. 

Now, in order to show the reader that this too was 
contrary to all law and custom in the Church, and, there- 
fore, a heresy, it is only necessary to recur again to the 
records of those days. If we look into the writings of 
Eusebius, for example, there is not a line or a thought in 
any part of his celebrated work, which gives the least 
countenance to the idea, that Presbyters took any part 
in ordination, much more had any right to do it. All 
the ordinations that we read of there, (and there are 
many of every grade in the Ministry,) were performed 
by Bishops, and by Bishops only. Not a single instance 
is given, where Presbyters ordained, or even assisted in 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 387 

the laying on of hands. And as to their claiming the 
right, or taking umbrage at any refusal or usurpation on 
the part of the Bishops, in not allowing them the privi- 
lege, there is not one word of complaint or otherwise 
anywhere expressed. Were it necessary, we could pro- 
duce multitudes of instances, out of the writings of Eu- 
sebius and others, to corroborate these views, but we 
shall let a very few suffice. Thus, for example, when 
Origen was ordained a Presbyter of the Church, by 
Theoctistus, Bishop of Cesarea, assisted by Alexander, 
Bishop of Jerusalem, who was present, the following re- 
cord is preserved of the transaction by 



E USE B lU s. 
ORDINATION OF PRESBYTERS. 

" Then, as the most distinguished Bishops of Palestine, 
and those of Cesarea and Jerusalem, judged Origen wor- 
thy of the first and highest honour, they ordained him 
to the Presbytery by the imposition of hands." Lib. 6, 
chap. 7 and 23. 

" This illustrious character, (Novatian,) abandoning the 
Church of God, in which, when he was converted, he 
was honoured with the Preshytery, and that by the fa- 
vour of the Bishop placing his hands upon him, ordain- 
ing him, and as all the Clergy and many of the Laity 
resisted it, since it was not lawful that one baptized in 
his sick-bed by aspersion, as he was, should be promoted 
to any order of the Clergy, the Bishop requested that it 
should be granted him to ordain only this one." — Lib. 6, 
chap. 43. 



388 HERESY AND SCHISM 



ORDINATION OP BISHOPS. 



*' This dogmatist, this (pretended) champion of eccle- 
siastical discipline, (Novatian) when he attempted to 
seize and usurp the Episcopate not given him from above, 
selected two desperate characters as his associates, to 
send them to some small, and that the smallest, part of 
Italy, and from thence, by some fictitious plea, to impose 
upon THREE Bishops there, men altogether ignorant and 
simple, affirming and declaring, that it was necessary for 
them to come to Rome in all haste, that all the dissension 
which had arisen might be removed through their media- 
tion, in conjunction with other Bishops. When these 
men had come, being, as before observed, but simple and 
plain in discerning the artifices and villany of the wicked, 
and when shut up with men of the same stamp with him- 
self, at the tenth hour, when heated with wine and sur- 
feiting, they forced them, by a kind of shadowy and 
empty imposition of hands, to confer the Episcopate upon 
him, and which, though by no means suited to him, he 
claims by fraud and treachery. One of these not long 
after returned to his Church, mourning and confessing 
his error, with whom also we communed as a layman, 
as all the people present interceded for him, and we sent 
successors to the other Bishops, ordaining them in the 
place where they were." — Lib. 6, chap. 43. 

Here, then, is evidence enough to prove that there was 
some rule in reference to the ordination of Presbyters 
and Bishops. And the rule was, not that Presbyters 
should ordain Presbyters and Bishops, but that one Bishop, 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 389 

if he choose, might ordain a Presbyter, and three Bishops 
might constitute a Bishop. Else why did Novatian 
take so much pains to procure, the attendance of three 
Bishops at Rome, in order to constitute him a Bishop, 
unless it was to comply with the custom of the Church ? 
Surely there was no reason why there should be just that 
number and no more, unless there was some rule or law, 
which was necessary to be observed in every lawful ordi- 
nation. Accordingly, we find this canon at the very 
head of the 

APOSTOLICAL CANONS. 

Canon I. " Let a Bishop be ordained by two or three 
Bishops ; a Presbyter by one Bishop, and so likewise a 
Deacon, and the rest of the Clergy." 

Now if ordination were the prerogative of Presbyters, 
as well as Bishops, why, we may ask, did not Aerius em- 
ploy the body of Presbyters which were leagued with 
him in his attempt to usurp the Episcopate of Rome, to 
ordain him, instead of sending to the remotest corner of 
Italy for three obscure Bishops to do it ? The truth is, 
that he was, doubtless, influenced by the desire to have 
the thing done properly, in accordanae with the Canons 
and regulations of the Church, so that there might be no 
objection to him on this account. He knew full well 
that Presbyters had no such power ; and that it was not 
even thought of then, as may be seen by a reference to 
St. Jerome, and St. Chrysostom, who lived about the 
time when Aerius first broached the subject. Thus speaks 

ST. JEROME. 

" Till, through instinct of the Devil, there grew in the 
Church factions, and among the people it began to be 



390 HERESY AND SCHISM. 

professed, I am of Paul, I of Apollos, and I of Cephas. 
Churches were governed by the common advice of Pres- 
byters: but when every one began to reckon those whom 
himself had baptized, his own and not Christ's, it was 
decreed in the whole world, that one chosen out of the 
Presbyters shall be placed above the rest, to whom all 
cares of the Church should belong, and so the seeds of 
Schism be removed. For, at Alexandria, from Mark the 
Evangelist, to Heracles, and Dionysius, the (late and 
present) Bishops of that See, the Presbyters always called 
the one chosen from among themselves, and placed in a 
higher station, (excelsiori gradu) Bishop : for what act 
does a Bishop perform, which a Presbyter may not, 
excepting ordination, * excepta ordinatione.^ " — Epis. to 
Evag. 

ST. CHRTSOSTOM. 

" The Apostle, says he, having discoursed concerning 
Bishops — omitting the order of Presbyters, descends to 
the Deacons ; and why so, but because between Bishop 
and Presbyter there is scarcely any difference ; and to 
them is committed both the instruction and the presi- 
dency of the Church ; and whatever he said of Bishops, 
agrees, also, to Presbyters. In ordination alone, they 
have gone hey ond the Presbyters." — Bowden, vol. l,p. 20. 

" By Eldership, he (St. Paul) means not, (those that 
in his days were called) Presbyters, but Bishops ; for 
Presbyters did not ordain Bishops :* and, therefore, St. 
Peter, 1 Pet. 5, 1, and St. John, 2 John 1, and 3 John 1, 
calling themselves Elders, it can be meant of no other 

13 Homily, 1 Tim. 4. 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 391 

than Bishops, because they ordained Bishops themselves, 
which thing hare Preshyters could not do.'^ — Marchant's 
Commentary on Acts 11, 27, p. 367. 

In addition to this, we are told that a Council was held 
at Alexandria, A. D. 339, and among other things, a 
question arose as to the validity of the orders of one 
Ischyras, who set himself up as a Presbyter of the 
Church, pretending to have received his commission from 
a certain Colluthus ; but when it was discovered, that 
Colluthus himself was only a Presbyter, the Council 
unanimously decreed that all those on whom he had laid 
his hands should be regarded as mere Laymen.* 

Now, if this be so, what evidence can be more con- 
clusive and to the point, that ordination by Presbyters, 
was not only contrary to all the early canons and cus- 
toms of the Church ; but to the united testimony of two 
respected Councils, and all these eminent writers, whose 
praise is in every land ? Sach a thing as Presbyterian 
Ordination, was not merely a novelty in those days ; but 
such a novelty as the Christian Church would not shel- 
ter within her pale, for an instant. 

And yet there are multitudes of professed Christians in 
our day, such as the Presbyterians, and Lutherans, an d 
Baptists, and Congregationalists, &c. who not only have 
the assurance to number themselves among the Churches 
of the Living God ; nay, in many instances, the onli/ 
pure Churches of Christ ; but, they have the audacity, 
also, to stand up and declare that their Ministers, with no- 
thing but Presbyterian ordination, and some of them not 
that, are just as good Ministers as those which have 

* Bingham's Works, p. 23, and Percival, p. 2 8. 



392 HERESY AND SCHISM. 

been Episcopally ordained, and in some instances rather 
better, because, made so, more in conformity with primi- 
tive usage, and without any of that corrupt taint, which 
the " Mother of Harlots," or the Church of Rome, trans* 
mits, like a pestilence to all her priestly train, not know- 
ing, that the descent, whether through Bishops or Pres- 
byters, has all been alike contaminated by her touch. 
For, who was Luther 1 who was Zuingle ? who was 
Knox ? who was Beza ? and Mennon ? but Ministers of 
that same Church, which Presbyterians and their com- 
peers love to revile ? And what ordination had they 
but Episcopal ? And what were they but Presbyters, 
with no power to ordain 1 But still all, or nearly all the 
schismatic al organizations of the present day, come from 
those very men 1 They formed them : they set them in 
motion : they gave them ' a local habitation and a name.' 
And now, instead of trying to conceal their corrupt 
Presbyterian ordination, more corrupt than any other in 
existence, because it comes direct and clear from that 
impure fountain, which they constantly impugn, without 
a single palliation from any other source, they seem to 
glory in it, and even defend it, as the Apostolic custom of 
the Church ! Alas ! for such Churches and such Min- 
isters, in the great day of accounts ! 

Had they been in existense, methinks in those early 
and pure ages, when an IrenaBus, or a Cyprian, or a 
Chrysostom, were in power, what would have been their 
fate 1 Would they have been countenanced as Churches 
of the Living God 1 Would their Ministers have been 
recognized as the true and lawful Ministers of Jesus 
Christ ? Nay, on the contrary, would they have not been 
denounced as heretics, and their doctrine as heresy 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 393 

of the worst kind ? We need not answer : for the reader, 
doubtless, is prepared to answer himself, that if there be 
any truth in history, or any confidence to be placed in 
the records of the past, these men are not only heretics, 
but advocates of a heresy, which was publicly de- 
nounced as such, more than fourteen hundred years ago ! 

And, then, again, in regard to schism, if it be a ques- 
tion, demanding the least explanation, we would say in 
reply, that it is Heresy carried out into practice. Schism, 
as we view it, is the legitimate offspring of Heresy. 
The one is the immediate consequent of the other. For 
while the one is the entertaining of opinions contrary to 
the received faith of the Catholic Church ; the other is 
the banding together of those who entertain these opin- 
ions, and the setting up of a separate community, inde- 
pendent of the Church, where these opinions may be 
propagated, without fear or restraint. 

We are aware, however, that Schism is not regarded 
exactly in this light, by some distinguished writers. Dr. 
Campbell, for instance, says, that it is employed in the 
Scriptures merely to denote some alienation of mind or 
want of harmony in sentiment, respecting non-essentials 
in religion, without an actual separation of the parties .* 
but even admitting this to be the case, it is easy to see, 
that the thing is not lessened, but greatly aggravated by 
the additional circumstance of separation. If the for- 
mer was a sin, calling for such severe animadversions 
and reproof, as we know it received from an Apostle of 
our Lord on several occasions ; surely th^ latter, which 
was the inevitable result of such contentions, or Schisms, 

* Campbell's Gospels, vol. 3, p. 112. 



394 HERESY AND SCHISM. 

cannot be less displeasing to God, because it has gone 
heyand what the Apostle reproves in the Corinthians, 
and the Scriptures every where denounce as disastrous 
to the unity and interests of the Church. By no means. 
Schism, in whatever light we view it, is a most grievous 
evil. Nay, a sin of the deepest dye ; because it is cal- 
culated to rend the *'body of Christ," which should 
ever be perfect and entire. Not only do the Scrip- 
tures represent the matter in this way : but all the 
early writers and Fathers who lived in the midst of some 
of the worst Heresies and Schisms, which have ever 
afflicted the Church of Christ. Thus, for example, writes 

ST. CLEMENT. 

" Your Schism has perverted many, has discouraged 
many ; it has caused diffidence in many, and grief in us 
all. And yet your sedition continues. Take the Epis- 
ple of the blessed Paul the Apostle into your hands ; 
what was it he wrote to you at his first preaching the 
Gospel among you ? Verily, he did by the Spirit ad- 
monish you concerning himself, and Cephas, and Apol- 
los, because that even then ye had begun to fall into 
parties and factions among yourselves. Nevertheless, 
your partiality then led you into a much less sin : for- 
asmuch as ye placed your affections upon Apostles, men 
of eminent reputation in the Church ; and upon another, 
who was greatly tried and approved of by them. But 
consider, we pray you, who were they who have now led 
you astray, and lessened the reputation of that brotherly 
love, that was so eminent among you ? It is a shame, 
my beloved, yea, a very great shame, and unworthy of 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 395 

your Christian profession, to hear that the most firm and 
ancient Church of the Corinthians should, by one or two 
persons, be led into a sedition against its Priests. And 
this report is come, not only to us, but to those, also, 
that differ from us. Insomuch that the name of the Lord 
is blasphemed through your folly ; and even ye, your- 
selves, are brought into danger by it. Let us, there- 
fore, M'ith all haste, put an end to this sedition ; and let 
us fall down before the Lord, and beseech him with tears 
that he would be favourably reconciled to us, and restore 
us again to a seemly and holy course of brotherly love." — 
Epistle to the Corinthians. 

IGNATIUS. 

" I exhort you, therefore, or rather not I, but the love 
of Jesus Christ, that ye use none but Christian nourish- 
ment, abstaining from pasture which is of another kind ; 
I mean heresy. For they that are Heretics, confound 
together the doctrine of Jesus Christ with their own 
poison, whilst they seem worthy of belief, as men give a 
deadly poison mixed with sweet wine, which he who is 
ignorant of, does with the treacherous pleasure, sweetly 
drink in his own death. 

" Wherefore guard yourselves against such persons ; 
and that you will do, if you are not puffed up, but con- 
tinue inseparable from Jesus Christ our God, and from 
your Bishop, and from the commands of the Apostles. He 
that is within the altar is pure ; but he that is without, 
that is, that does anything without the Bishop, and Pres- 
byters, and Deacons, is not pure in his conscience."—- 
Epistle to the Trallians. 

'* Wherefore, as becomes the children both of the light 



396 HERESY AND SCHISM. 

and of the truth, flee divisions (Schisms) and false doc- 
trines : but where your Shepherd is, there do ye, as sheep, 
follow after ; for there are many wolves who seem 
worthy of belief, that with a false pleasure lead captive 
those that run in the course of God : but in your concord 
they shall find no place. 

" Abstain, therefore, from those evil herbs which Jesus 
Christ does not dress, because such are not the plantation 
of the Father. Not that I have found any division 
among you, but rather all manner of purity. For, as 
many as are of God, and of Jesus Christ, are, also, with 
their Bishop. And as many as shall with repentance 
return into the unity of the Church, even these shall, 
also, be the servants of God, that they may live accord- 
ing to Jesus Christ. Be not deceived, JBrethren ; if any 
one follows him that makes a Schism in the Church, he 
shall not inherit the kingdom of God ; if any one walks 
after any other opinion, he agrees not ivith the passion 
of Christ.^^ — Epistle to the Philadelphians. 

" Those Presbyters in the Church are to be obeyed, 
who have the succession, as we have shown from the 
Apostles : who, with the succession of their Episcopacy, 
have the sure gift of truth, according to the good 
pleasure of the Father. But as to the rest, who depart 
from the succession, and are assembled in any place 
whatsoever, we ought to suspect them, and look upon 
them as Heretics, and persons of bad opinions ; or, as 
Schismatics, and conceited persons, pleasing themselves; 
or, again, as Hypocrites, doing this for the sake of gain 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 397 

or vain glory ; and all these have fallen from the truth." — 
Adv. Haeres. Lib. 4, c. 43. 

CYPRIAN. 

" Heresy and Schism are the invention of the Enemy, 
for the subversion of faith, the corruption of truth, the 
division of unity. Those whom he can retain no longer 
in the blindness of the former way, he circumvents by 
betraying them into deviation from their new progress. 
He tears men away from the Church ; and while they 
imagine themselves to have come unto the light, and to 
have escaped the night of this world, he secretly infuses 
a second accession of darkness ; so that they continue to 
call themselves Christians, while they stand not by the 
Gospel of Christ, and never heed or obey Him. They 
walk in darkness, and think they have light : while the 
enemy flatters and deceives them, transforming himself, 
as the Apostle says, into an Angel of light, and dressing 
out his emissaries as the Ministers of righteousness. 
These are the maintainors of night for day, of death for 
salvation, of despair for proffered hope, of perfidy pre- 
tending honour, and anti-Christ instead of Christ. They 
invest falsehood in probabilities, and employ stratagem 
for the frustration of truth." — On the Unity of the 
Church. Tracts for the Times, p. 565. 

" Whoever and whatever he may be, he cannot be a 
Christian, who is not in the Church of Christ. Let him 
pride himself as he will on his philosophy or eloquence ; 
and let his boasting equal his vanity ; he who hath held 
fast neither brotherly love nor Church unity, has lost even 
that which he before possessed." — Epis. 62. Life and 

Times of St. Cyprian, p. 176. 

- — _ 



398 HERESY AND SCHISM. 

" He who holds not this unity of the Church, does he 
think that he holds the faith ? When a man struggles 
against the Church, and resists it, does he suppose that 
he continues to helong to it ? For, surely the blessed 
Apostle, St. Paul, teaches the same thing, and indicates the 
sacredness of unity in these words : " There is one body 
and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your 
calling; one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God. 
This unity, it is our duty to hold and vindicate with firm- 
ness." — Tracts for the Times, p. 568. 

" The spouse of Christ is a spotless spouse ; she is in- 
corruptible and pure ; she recognizes but one home, 
and secures by her purity the sanctity of but one alli- 
ance. She keeps us as the property of God, and vindi- 
cates to His sons their royal inheritance. Whosoever 
separates from the Church, declares himself an alien, 
and cuts himself off from the inheritance which the 
Church promises. He cannot obtain the reward which 
Christ gives who leaves the Church which Christ has 
established ; he is an alien : he is impure : he is an 
enemy. God is no more our Father when we cease to 
be children of the Church. If any one of those escaped 
who were without the ark of Noah, then will he escape, 
who trespasses beyond the pale of the Church. The 
Lord hath given us these words of warning, * He that 
is not with me is against me ; and he who gathereth not 
with me, scattereth.' He who breaks the peace and con- 
cord of Christ, sets himself against Christ. He who 
gathereth elsewhere but in the Church, scattereth the 
Church of Christ."— Ibid. p. 569. 

" These are they who take upon them God not willing, 
to preside over their rash companions, establish them- 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 399 

selves in authority without any lawful ordination, and 
assume the name of Bishop, when no man gives them a 
Bishopric. These the Holy Spirit marks out in the 
Psalms, as sitting in the seat of the noxious : a plague 
and infection of the Faith, deceiving with the serpent's 
mouth, wise to corrupt truth, breathing out poison unto 
death with pestilential tongues; whose words eat like 
a canker, whose writings pour a deadly poison into every 
breast and heart. Against these the Lord cries out, and 
reins back and recalls His wandering people, saying, 
* Hearken not unto the words of the prophets which pro- 
phesy falsely, for the vision of their heart maketh them 
vain. They speak, but not from the mouth of the Lord : 
they say to those who cast away the word of God, there 
shall be peace unto you ; and to all that walk in their 
own pleasures, every one who walketh in the error of his 
own heart, evil shall not come upon him. I have not 
spoken unto them, and they have of their own selves 
prophesied ; if they had stood in me, and had heard my 
words, and had taught my people, I would have convert- 
ed them from their evil thoughts V 

*' These same persons, the Lord again designates, and 
denotes, saying, ' They have deserted me, the fountain 
of living water, and have made for themselves broken 
cisterns that can hold no water.' There can be but one 
true Baptism ; and yet they think they can baptize. 
They desert the fountain of life, yet hold out the gift of a 
living and health-giving water. Men are not cleansed 
by them, but rather are made filthy : their sins are not 
wiped away, but verily are heaped up. They are born, 
not tha sons of Go I, bat sons of Satan ; they are 
gendered of perfidy, they have lost the gift of faith, they 



400 HEEESY AND SCHISM. 

caKiiot arrive unto the reward of peace, for they have 
destroyed the peace of the Lord by discord and fury." — 
Ibid. p. 572. 

" Doth he give glory to God, who asserts that children 
of God may be born without the Church, of an adultress 
and fornicator? Doth he give honour to God, who vin- 
dicates the cause of Heresy against the Church ; for- 
saking the unity and truth which came from the law of 
God ? Doth he give glory to God, who, the friend of 
Heretics, the enemy of Christ, judges those priests of 
God, worthy of excommunication who defend the truth 
of Christ and the unity of the Church ? If this be to 
honour God, if the fear and discipline of God be thus 
guarded by His priest, let us throw down our arms, let us 
submit our hands to captivity, let us surrender the ad- 
ministration of the Gospel, the ordinances of Christ, 
the Majesty of God, to the Devil : let the oath of our 
divine warfare be dissolved, let the standard of the armies 
of Heaven be betrayed :• let the Church yield to Heretics, 
light to darkness, faith to perfidy, hope to despair, reason 
to error, immortality to death, love to hatred, truth to a 
lie, Christ to Antichrist. No wonder that Schisms and 
Heresies thus arise day after day, and grow with a 
strange rapidity and strength, and erect their scaly heads 
against the Church of God, injecting the poison of their 
error more and more fatally, while both authority and 
stability is given to them by the advocacy of some ; 
while their Baptism is defended ; while Faith and truth 
are betrayed ; while that which is done against the 
Church without her pale, is vindicated in the Church 
itself. But, if, dearest brother, we have any love of 
God, any faith and regard for the truth : if we keep the 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 401 

law of Christ, if we guard inviolate the purity of His 
spouse, if the words of the Lord are written in our hearts, 
'when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the 
earth V As faithful soldiers of God, let us fight for a 
true faith a.nd a pure religion, with the courage of tried 
fidelity, let us guard the camp divinely committed to our 
keeping." — Epistle 74, to St. Stephen, Bishop of Rome. 

" That man ought to be avoided and exiled from our 
society, who is separated from the Church. Such a man 
is perverse, and a sinner, and condemns himself. Does 
the man think himself with Christ, who strives against 
the Christian Priesthood, and separates himself from the 
converse of Christ's Clergy and people? He is bearing 
arms against the Church ; he is fighting against God's 
ordinances, a foe to the altar, a rebel against Christ's 
sacrifice, for honour, faithless ; for religion, sacrilegious ; 
a servant, without obedience ; a son, without piety ; a 
brother, without love ; setting at nought the Bishops, 
and despising the Priests of his God, he audaciously 
builds another altar, offjrs up the unhallowed accents of 
a separate prayer, and profanes with false sacrifices the 
truth of the Dominical victim. He is not permitted to 
be wiser, since he who strives against the ordinances of 
God is punished for his temerity and daring by Divine 
reprehension." — Tracts for the Times, p. 577. 

" Their crime is more than that with which the Lapsed 
appear to be stained : for those do, at least, deprecate 
the wrath of God, with all the appointed offices of 
penance. The Lapsed seek after the Church as sup- 
pliants ; Schismatics resist the Church. The Lapsed 
yielded to force and compulsion ; Schi^natics cleave 
with full purpose to their sin. The one injures his own 



402 HERESY AND SCHISM. 

sou], the other perils the souls of many. The one sees 
that he has sinned, and weeps* and laments ; the other 
elated in his wilfulness, and rejoicing in his very crimes, 
separates children from their mother, allures sheep from 
their fold, and subverts the Sacrament of God ; and, 
whereas, the Lapsed has once sinned, the other offends 
daily. Finally, the Lapsed may be received into the 
kingdom of Heaven after martyrdom ; but he who is 
slain out of the Church, hath no part in the rewards of 
the Church," 

REMARKS. 

Such is the language which Cyprian and others em- 
ploy, in order to portray the condition of those who apos- 
tatized from the f\iith, and seceded from the Church, in 
days long since past. What severe reproofs ! What 
awful maledictions ! what terrible anathemas are pro- 
nounced against these erring, wandering, daring children 
of our God ! Although we cannot say that we approve 
of everything we find recorded against them, yet the ob- 
ject is, to let the reader see the manner in which the 
early saints have spoken in reference to those who rent 
the Church in their day, by their ungodly heresies and 
schisms. 

If these things were true then, why, we would ask, are 
they not true now? And why may not the same ani- 
madversions be made upon those, in every age, who have 
been guilty of the same or similar offences ? Were not 
Luther and Melancthon, Farrel and Beza, Knox and 
Zuingle, Wesley and Coke, guilty of the very same sins 
which Cyprian charges upon the heretics and schisma- 
tics of old ? Did they not entertain opinions .contrary 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 403 

to the faith of the CathoHc Church, long before Papal 
corruptions were heard of? Did they not separate from 
the Church, openly and avowedly, with the exception of 
Wesley, and form distinct communities antagonist to the 
Church? Whether they did it from necessity^ as was 
alleged, or otherwise, we care not — they did it. And in 
order to carry out their plans, did they not establish a 
Ministry different from what had ever been established or 
known ? Although mere Presbyters, did they not ordain 
Ministers, and did not these Ministers preach the Gospel 
and administer the sacraments, and commission other 
Ministers to do the same things, contrary to all ecclesi- 
astical law and custom ? Certainly, all this is not de- 
nied by those who are competent to judge, but is rather 
vaunted, and especially by their followers, as the grand 
distinguishing elements of their prowess and their fame. 
And if so, why may we not inquire with St. Cyprian, 
" Does the man think himself with Christ, who strives 
against the Christian Priesthood, and separates himself 
from the converse of Christ's Clergy and people ? No," 
says he, " he is bearing arms against the Church ; he is 
fighting against God's ordinances, a foe to the altar, a 
rebel against Christ's sacrifice, for honour, faithless ; for 
religion, sacrilegious ; a servant, without obedience ; a son, 
without piety ; a brother, without love ; setting at nought 
the Bishops, and despising the Priests of his God, he 
audaciously builds another altar, offers up the unhallow- 
ed accents of a separate prayer, and profanes with false 
sacrifices the truth of the Dominical victim." 

The uplifted cry of a thousand voices, doubtless, will 
be heard at once, chiming in with the disciples of old, 
" This is a hard saying, who can hear it?" We know 



404 HERESY AND SCHISM. 

full well, that men do not like to hear the truth ; but 
then, is that a reason why the truth should not be spoken ? 
Must we keep silent, just because the truth will give 
OiTence ? May we not speak out, for fear of drawing 
upon ourselves the ridicule and scorn of men ? God for- 
bid ! Although we have no desire to offend, or to say 
ought to wound the feelings of a single mortal living, 
yet we do just as honestly and sincerely believe, that 
those in our days who are the abettors of heresy and 
schism, are in a state of rebellion against God, as we be- 
lieve our own existence. In other words, we believe that 
those who have gone out of the Church, are without a 
Bishop, without a Priest, without a Ministry, without a 
Sacrament, in short, without a single characteristic of a 
Church, as it was constituted by Christ and his Apostles; 
and believing this, we say it openly and fearlessly, not 
because we love strife or seek contention, but because we 
love the unity, the peace, the glory of the Church. We 
wish to see a better state of things. We wish to see the 
armies of the living God united : we wish to see them ar- 
rayed once more in one unbroken phalanx : we wish to 
see them marshalled under the one only Captain of our 
salvation, under the one Ministry, the one Government 
which He ordered ; animated with one hope, one faith ; 
fired with one zeal, one spirit ; striving with one heart, 
one mind, for the faith once delivered to the saints ; 
and thus " coming up to the help of the Lord, to the help 
of the Lord against the mighty." And if we can be the 
means, under God, of bringing about so desirable and 
glorious an issue, by this humble effort, or, indeed, of doing 
anything towards it, we shall feel ourselves amply repaid 
for whatever toil, and care, and anxiety, we have endur- 



HERESY AND SCHISM. 405 

ed, and, more than all, thank our Heavenly Father be- 
sides, that " we have not lived in vain, and spent our 
strength for nought." 

And, therefore, before we close this volume, we would 
most earnestly and affectionately exhort all those who 
are involved in heresy and schism, to pause and reflect 
upon their course. If you are guilty of these sins, dear 
brethren, you ought to know it. Instead of covering 
them up, or excusing them in any way, look them fully 
in the face, and repent of them. Forsake them ; give 
them no quarter. Return at once to the bosom of the 
Church. Let not your pride or your prejudice prevent 
you. Let not the idea, that you will be obliged to for- 
feit your independence, or your honour, or your integ- 
rity, by such an act, trouble you ; but do it for the sake 
of unity and peace ; do it fot the sake of our risen and 
glorified Lord ; do it for the sake of a suffering and be- 
nighted world ; do it for the sake of advancing the inter- 
ests and glory of our G od ; do it, in a word, for the sake 
of evincing your loyalty and love. Delay not. Do it at 
once. Make up your mind now. " Think not that you 
are maintaining the Gospel of Christ, while you are liv- 
ing in voluntary segregation from the fold of Christ, and 
from its peace and unity ; since it would better become 
you, as good and illustrious soldiers, to sit down together 
in the camp at home, and to act and consult for the com- 
mon good. Our unity and agreement cannot be dis- 
turbed : WE cannot leave the fold of the Church, and go 
out and join you ; therefore it is, that we beseech you 
the more earnestly to return to your mother, the Church, 
and to the fellowship of her sons."* Yea, once more, 
* St. Cypriaa's Epistle to the Confessors of Rome. 



406 HERESY AND SCHISM. 

we would say, come home, come home to the Church of 
our Saviour and our God ! 

" Wanderers ! come home ! when erring most, 
Christ's Church, aye kept the faith, nor lost 

One grain of Holy Truth : 
She ne'er has err'd as those ye trust, 
And now shall lift her from the dust, 

And REIGN as in her youth !" 




O MERCIFTTL GOD, 

WHO HAST MADE 

ALL MEN, AND 

HATEST NOTHING 

THAT THOU HAST 

MADE, NOR DESIR- 
ETH THE DEATH OF A SINNER, BUT RATHER THAT 
HE SHOULD BE CONVERTED AND LIVE, HAVE MER- 
CY UPON ALL JEWS. TURKS, INFIDELS, AND Htt- 

RETICS; AND TAKE 

FROM THEM ALL 

IGNORANCE, HARD- 
NESS OF HEART, 

AND CONTEMPT OF 

THY wokd; ANDSO 

FETCH THEM HOME 
BLESSED LORD, TO 

THY FLOCK. THAT 

THEY MAY BE SAV- 
ED AMONG THE 

REMNANT OF THE 

TRUE ISRAELITES, 

AND BE MADE 

ONE FOLD, UNDER 

ONE SHEPHERD, 

JESUS CHRIST OUR 

LORD, WHO LIV- 

ETH AND REIQN- 

ETH WITH THEE 

AND THE HOLY 
SPIRIT, ONE GOD, WORLD 
WITHOUT END. AMEN. 

Collect for Good Friday. 



ERRATA. 



On page 30, nineteenth line from top, read St. Clement, instead of St. Jerome. 

On page 106, read Irensus for lereneeus. 

On page 197, thirteenth line from top, read column, instead of volimie. 

On page 216, at the end of the fourth line from the bottom of the page, insert 
the following line, " besides, he devoted much of his time to tlie study of Rhe- 
toric and Oratory." 

On page 346, sixteenth line from top, read import, for imp or. 



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particularly in cases of Imprisonment for Debt. By Jacob 
B. Moore. 1 vol. 12mo. Law sheep. 75 cts. 

The above work is prepared with much care, and contains the most val- 
uable information to ail persons engaged in trade, whether debtor or cred- 
itor — information never before brought into a form so convenient — informa- 
tion hitherto obtained only from lawyers in the diiferent States at great 
expense, or from the statutes of the different States found in large Law Li- 
braries. 

It is believed that the general use of this volume will save hundreds of 
dollars to many business men, and will tend in Uie community at large to 
the correction of many false impressions on a subject involving many of 
our best interests. 



THE EARLY FATHERS. 

Lives of the Early Christian Fathers, or Memorials of Nine 
Distinguished Teachers of the Christian Faith, during the 
first Three Centuries. By Rev. Wm. M. Carmichael, D.D. 
of St. Thomas's Hall, Flushing, Long Island. 1 vol. 12mo., 
cloth. This book is got up in beautiful style. 



*- 



DSSTRICT SCHOOL LIBRARY. 



A. V. Blake has commenced the publication of a series of 
volumes, royal ISmo., under the above general title. Each 
volume is to contain 252 pages. Nine volumes have al- 
ready been published ; and others will be added at short 
intervals ; not to an extent to supersede other similar produc- 
tions) but to furnish a limited number of works 5 perhaps 20 or 
25, so different from others, that they may be used in company 
with them, and so attractive in appearance and so elevated 
in character, as to be likely, so far as they become known, 
to go into every School Library in the country. They are 
printed on fine paper ; will be handsomely bound ; and will 
be sold in sets, at the low price of forty -five cents a volume. 

The following have already he^xi published. 

PARENTAL INSTRUCTIONS; 

Or, Guide to Wisdom and Virtue. Designed for Young Per- 
sons of either sex. Selected mainly from the writings of an 
Eminent Physibiari. 



ANECDOTES OF THE AMERICAN 
INDIANS. 

Illustrating their Eccentricities of Character. By the author 
of " Evenings in Boston." 



ONE HUNDRED FABLES; 

Selected from the Works of Northcote, Bewick, and Others. 
Embellished with numerous Wood Engravings. 



THE BEAUTIES OF AMERICAN 
HISTORY. 

By the Author of " Evenings in Boston." 

*■ 4. 



. ^ ^ * 

10 

A HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN 
REVOLUTSON. 

First published in London under the superintendence of the 
Society for the Diffusion of Useful Enowledge3 improved 
with Maps and other Illustrations. Also revised and en-- 
larged by the Rev. J. L. Blake, D.D. 



BREAKFAST TABLE SCIENCE; 

Or, the Philosophy of Common Things. Written expressly 
for the Amusement and Instruction of Young People. By 
J. H. Wright. 



ANECDOTES OF THE AMERICAN 
REVOLUTION. 

Being sketches of the most interesting events in our Revolu- 
tionary War. Compiled from various sources. By Rev. 
J. L. Blake, D.D. 



BOOK OF NATURE LAID OPEN; 

Revised and Improved) expressly for Young Persons. By Rev. 
J. L. Blake, D.D. 

What read we here ?— existence of a God ? 
Yes ; and of other beings, man above ; 
Natives of aether ! sons of other climes ! 



THE JUVENILE COMPANION, 

And Fireside Reader. Consisting of Historical and Biographi- 
cal Anecdotes, and Selections in Poetry. 



FRAGMENTS OF AMERICAN 
HISTORY, 

Collected from various Authentic Sources. Preparing for 
publication. 

# —- ~ -^-^ ~<^ 



c§,_ ^ . cg^ 

II 

Preparing for Publication. 

THE WONDERS OF THE OCEAN ; 

Containing an Account of the Color, Saltness, and probable 
Depth of the Ocean ; of its Mountains of Ice ; of its Gulfs, 
Whirlpools, and Tides; of its Coral and other Formation 
and Productions, so far as known, whether Animal, Mineral, 
or Veeretable. 



THE WONDERS OF TH 

Containing an Account of all its known Remarkable Features 
and Phenomena — Mountains, Caverns, Petrifactions, Vol- 
canoes, Earthquakes, Cataracts, Boiling Springs, Minerals, 
Snows, Frosts, Whirlwinds, Storms, and Pestilenti..l Vapors. 

" These volumes are the commencement of a select library for schools; 
some portions written, others compiled, and all edited, by that indefati 
gable laborer in the tield of popular instruction, the Rev. John L. Blake, 
D. D. We cannot speak of these books in a manner that would lead the 
reader to suppose that we have read them all through ; but we have 
looked them through, and have no hesitation in pronouncing the series, 
thus far, one of great value and excellence. The selections have been 
made with taste and judgment, and there is probaidy not a sentence which 
the most watcliful parent need fear to place at once in the hands of his 
children." — JV'ew York Commercial Advertiser. 

"A series of handsome books, denominated a School Libraiy, have just 
been published. They embrace a great variety of interesting topics, and 
appear to have been compiled with unusual care and discrimination. 
They will be followed by other works in the same style, so that the 
whole will fornj a complete and valuable library." — JV*. Y. Evening Post. 



YOUTH'S LIBRARY FOR THE 
PARLOR. 

A portion of the District School Library is bound in the best style of em- 
bossed muslin, under the above general title. They are among the most 
appropriate Juvenile Publications for family use, and especially for pres- 
ents during holiday seasons. If the quantity of matter contained in each 
volume is considered, and also the beautiful and rich style in which they 
are got up, it will appear that they are twenty-five per cent, cheaper than 
the average price of Juvenile Books. 

# ^ 



12 

SCHOOL BOOKS. 



A CLASS8CAL SPELLING BOOK; 

Containing Rules and Reasons for English Orthography and 
Pronunciation ; derived from a complete Analysis of the 
English Language. By the Rev. A. B. Chapin, A.M , Mem- 
ber of the Connecticut Academy; Honorary Member of the 
Rhode Island Historical Society ; Honorary Member of the 
Pennsylvania Historical Society. $2 00 per doz. 

"The learned author has classified the great mass of the language, em- 
bracing 8,000 roots and 32,000 derivatives. About 3,000 of the roots are 
monosyllables, 2,800 of which are governed by thirty general laws: and 
the remaining 200 by eight special rules. About twenty rules are required 
for the pronunciation of the rest of the language. Consequently less than 
sixty rules are required for the pronunciation of the whole language. By 
learning these the pupil makes hiraseif master of the orthography and 
pronunciation of his mother tongue." — Hartford Congregational Observer. 

"The Spelling-Book by Mr. Chapin, is destined to become indispensable 
in the pursuit of a thorough analytical knowledge of the English language." 
— Extract from the Preface to " The Southern Spellivg-Book." 

"Mr. Chapin's Spelling-Book is the most important of the kind I have 
ever seen. It deserves some higher name than a spelling-book. It can 
hardly fail to introduce a new era in the study of the English language." — 
Rev. Job R. Tyson, of Philadelphia, Superintendent of Public Schools. 

"Mr. Chapin's mode of investigating the orthography and pronunciation 
of the English language, is, so far as I can learn, entirely new, and cannot 
fail of producing the most beneficial results." — Rev. Romeo Elton, D.D., 
Professor of L,anguages, Brown University, Providence, R. I. 

"I regard Mr. Chapin's mode of analyzing the language, as the only na- 
tural, and therefore, as the only truly philosophical mode of analyzing the 
language, and the results are such as we might expect from this kind of 
analysis." — Professor E. Simms, of the University of Alabama. 

"I can truly say that it is the best SpcIling-Book I have seen; that I 
have never used a Spelling-Book which was interesting to the student be- 
fore this. Not only have the younger classes improved rapidly, but the 
classical scholar, and the student in the higher branches of mathematics 
and English literature, have run through it with as njuch pleasure as they 
have takeji in their other lessons." — O. Docharty, A.J\1., Flashing, L. I. 

" A. B. Chapin — Dear Str : I have just finished an examination of 
your ' English Spelling-Book,' \\\\h the conviction that it is the best Spel- 
ling-Book I have ever seen. Aside from the fact that it contains a much 
larger number of words than any other, the excellent natural classification 
of the words gives it a superiority over any other with which I am ac- 
quainted." — Sidney A. Thomas, JVew Haven. 

^__ ^ 



* :: # 

13 
MEADONA/'S' FRENCH AND ENGLISH 
DICTIONARY. 

On the basis of Nugent's, willi many New Words in General 
Use. In Two Parts : I. French and English. II. English 
and French. Exhibiting the pronunciation of the French 
in pure English sounds, the parts of speech, gender of 
French nouns, regular and irregular conjugations of verbs, 
accents of English Words, list of the usual Christian proper 
names, and names of countries and nations; to which are 
prefixed principles of French Pronunciation, and d.n abridg- 
ed Grammar. By F. C. Meadows, M.A., of the University 
of Paris. Corrected and improved, with a selection of 
Idiomatic Phrases, by George Folsom, A.M. 1 vol, 18mo. 
Handsome roan binding, $1 25. 

The publisher has spared no pains or reasonable expense in getting up 
this work, and adapting it to the taste and the wants of persons acquiring 
a knowledge of the iFrench language. He has also made arrangements for 
selling it so low, that it may be used by schools generally. The most 
hasty examination will satisfy any one competent to form an opinion, 
that it is decidedly the best School Dictionary of the French language in use. 
The book speaks for itself. Instructors are particularly desired to examine it. 

Hzccllences of Jifeadozos^ Dictionary. 
First. — It is in a form most desirable for use — neither so large, nor in a 
shape to be inconvenient in being handled with other books. 

Second. — It is on fine white paper, and bound in morocco; and its whole 
appearance is fit for the centre table, for reference in parlor reading, as well 
as for study in the school-room. QCy Hence particularly tit for young 
ladies. 

Third. — The author has adopted the pure English sounds, by means of 
which, the learner, with Very little previous instruction, cati readily acquire 
the pronunciation of any French word. {^ This is a most decided im- 
provement. 

Fbvrth.— It is also the cheapest French Dictionary of its value which 
has been published. The Dictionary of Boyer is sold to the trade, at 
wholesale, for two dollars and fifty cents a copy. Meadows' Dictionary 
contains, by accurate calculation, one fifth more matter than Boyer, and 
yet is soid for one-half the price of that. 



TACITUS. 

Adapted to Schools, with Notes by Professor Kingsley, of Yale 
College, New Haven. 1 vol. 12mo., sheep. $1 CO. 



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14 



CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES; 

Or, a Compendium of Roman and Grecian Antiquities. With 

a Sketch of Ancient Mythology. By Joseph Salkeld, A.M. 

l8mo. Handsome sheep, 62 Cts. 

Every teacher becomes a public benefactor in adapting the higher 
branches of literature and Science to the circumstances and to the wants 
of those from whom they have ordinarily been excluded. Most of the 
works in use, which treat of the antiquities of Greece and Rome, are so 
copious and so intermingled with Greek and Latin quotations, that, though 
they may be highly valuable to the classical scholar as works of reference, 
they arc rendered less useful to the classical pupil, as common text- 
books. On this account, the study of classical antiquities has been mostly 
confined to the higher classes. The present volume is designed for general 
use in our common schools ; but it is believed to be so comprehensive and 
elevated in its character, as to be acceptable in Academies and High Schools 
as well as Colleges. 

" t consider this work pecaliarly adapted to the tise of preparatory classi- 
cal instruction. The voluminous character of works of value, on these 
topics forbids their acquisition by younger students ; so that, if not neglected, 
they are never understood in time for a correct comprehension of classical 
authors. In this respect, it will be found a desideratum greatly needed; 
and should be introduced as a Text- Book for daily use in our classical 
schools." — William M. Martin, A. M., Principal of a Classical Select 
School, Brooklyn, JV, Y. 



BELLES- LETTRESj 

Or, the First Book in Rhetoric and English Composition. De- 
signed for Common and Classical Schools. By the Ret. 
John W. Brown, A.M., Principal of the Female Institute, 
Astoria, New York. 18mo., sheep. 

The want of an Elementary Treatise in Rhetoric:, on a popular plan, to 
precede the use of Jamieson or Whately, has long been felt by those en- 
gaged in the business of education ; and the abridgment of Blair, for the 
want of something better, has been the most common Text-book on the sub- 
ject. The abridgment of Blair does very well for the more advanced schol- 
ars in reviewing the complete work of his, which they may have studied ; 
but nearly all this volume is poorly adapted to the wants of young pupils', 
and one half of it, at least, is comparatively of no -value to them. The first 
Book in Rhetoric and English Composition is now otl'ercd to the public, ift 
the fullest confidence that all teachers to whom its merits become knov.'n, 
will avail themselves of the benefits it is calculated to impart. The au- 
thor, an accomplished scholar and teacher, has used the work in manu- 
script with his own pupils ; and hence, has fully tested its adaptation to 
the purposes intended. 

So popular is the author, and so great is the want of such a book in otjr 
schools, that several inquiries were made for this work by some oi our 
first teachers, immediately on the announcement of it as in press. 



eg: cj. 

15 

And New York Class Book, especially designed to prevent 
Dullness and Monotony in the reading and Declamation of 
Schools. By the Rev. J. L. Blake, D.D. 18mo., handsome 
sheep, with an engraved frontispiece. 50 cts. 

In the course of two years of the publication of this work, ten editions 
have been printed, and the following are some of the numerous notices of 
it in the periodical press : 

" The volume is made up of Prose, Poetry, and Dialogues selected from 
foreign and native authors. In the latter we find some of the choicest 
gems from Webster, Everett, Sprague, Henry, Channing, Hopkinson, Story, 
Maxcy, Wayland, Burges, and others. From a careful examination of the 
work, we feel bound to say^ the compiler has executed his task with much 
judgment, and that he has avoided the error of others in not giving a suf- 
ficient variety to his selections." 

"This is a compilation intended expressly for the use of schools in the 
branches of reading and declamation, in which care has been taken to 
avoid all extracts possessing monotony in the construction of sentences, 
thereby preventing a monotony of voice in reading or declamation. The 
selection is a good one, and we doubt not that it will prove of great utiliity 
in the purpose for which it was designed." — Boston Transcript. 



FF^ENCH READER. 

Being selections from M. Bonilly's " Encouragement to Youth." 
By J. A. Frontin, A.M. 1 vol. 16mo. 50 cts. 

This work is exceedingly well adapted to learners of the Frerich language, 
having the French on the opposite page of an English translation, with 
blank white paper between. 



EVIDENCES OF CH R ! SXI AN iTY, 

In Conversations, in vt'hich the Leading Arguments of the Best 
Authors are arranged, developed, and connected with each 
other. A new edition from the English Copy, with Improve- 
ments adapting it to the Use of Schools and Family Instruc- 
tion. By the Rev. J. L. Blake, D.D., Author of the " First 
Book in Astronomy," and various works on Education. 1 
vol. 12mo., handsome roan. 75 cts. 

This volume is designed to correspond with Mrs. Marcet's popular works 
on Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Botany, and Political Economy, revised 
Ly the same Editor. It is also a very appropriate volume for District School 
and other Libraries. 

4> —^ 



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16 

HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN 
REVOLUTION. 

Being a History first published under the direction of the So- 
ciety for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, with additional 
Questions, and adapted to Schools by Rev. J. L. Blake, D.D. 
1 vol. 18mo., sheep; 50 cts. 



CICERO DE ORATORE. 

Adapted to Schools, vfith Notes by Professor Kingsley, of Yale 
College, New Haven. 1 vol. 12mo., sheep. 75 cts. 



V^ALKER'S ARITHMETIC. 

On the principle of Hassles and Lacroix. By Rev. Wm, F. 
Walker, late of Troy. 1 vol. 8vo. 75 cts. 



BOOKS FOR FARMERS AND 
GARDENERS. 

The most popular works always on hand, and any others 
wanted supplied at very short notice. 



JUVENILE BOOKS. 

A great variety of all sizes, prices and kinds, always on haftdj 
and at very low prices : The Youth's Library for the Par- 
lor, before mentioned in this Catalogue, are amongst the 
neatest, cheapest, and most useful, that are published — nine 
volumes are already issued, and additional volumes are fre- 
quently published. 



SCHOOL AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES 

Furnished with the latest editions, and at the lowest prices.—^ 
A. V. B. has always on hand a large stock of Books of 
History, Biography, Travels, &c., &c., suitable for School 
Libraries. The District School Library, published by him- 
self, has met with a great salcj and with universal favor. 



* - 

17 

ALEXAN D E R V. BLAKE 

WOULD INVITE THE ATTENTION OF 

a\xb <S)tI)er0, 

TO HIS STOCK OF 

SCHOOL AND MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS, 

OFFERED AT VERY REDUCED PRICES. 

GEOGRAPHIES. 

By Smith, Mitchell, OIney, Worcester, Parley, Malta Brun, 
Burritt, Willet, Woodbridge & Willard, Huntington, Fowle, 
Brinsmade, Adams, &.c. 



ARI-THMETICS. 

By Smith, Emerson, Willet, Leonard, Daboll, Olney, Baldwin, 
Colburn, Davies, Cobb, Parley, Walsh, Adams, Welsh, 
Green, Wilson, Greenleaf, Bennett, Smiley, &c. 



READING BOOKS. 

By Pierpont, Worcester, Blake, Hall, Sanders, Lovell, Emer- 
son, Kay, Murray, Cobb, Abbot, Fowlc, Porter, Sullivan, 
Goodrich, Mrs. Sigourney, Angell, Wilson, &c. 



CHEMISTRIES. 

By Comstock, Blake, Gray, Beck, Phelps, Johnson, Grund, 
Smith, Tenner, &c. 



GRAMMARS. 

By Smith, Murray, Levizac, Bolmar, Gould, Adams, Kirkham, 
Barnard, Putnam, Brown, Andrews & Stoddard, Goodrich, 
Bullion, Fowle, Frost, Fisk, Anthon, Alger, Greenleaf, &c. 

4) * 



^__ c^ 

18 

HISTORIES. 

By Parley, Robbing, Goodrich, Tyler, Prescott, Goldsmith, 
Grimshaw, Olney, Pinnock, Willard, Worcester, Hale, 
Mitchell, Bancroft, Rollins, Blake, Trimmer, Frost, Webs- 
ter, Cooper, Robertson, &c. 



SPELLING BOOKS. 

By Webster, Emerson, Town, Gallaudet, Sanders, Bentley, 
Pickett, Cobb, Hazen, Marshall, Parley, Olney, Cha- 
pin, &c. 



PHILOSOPHIES. 

By Blake, Comstock, Swift, Gale, Olmstead, Brown, Phelps, 
Jones, Parker, Abercrombie, Wayland, Grund, Bake- 
well, &c. 



SCHOOL BOOKS 

In general use upon Botany, Mathematics, Rhetoric, Book- 
keeping; also the Latin, Greek, French and German School 
Books in use. 



DICTIONARIES. 

By Walker, Webster, Lempriere, Leverett, Gardiner, Donne- 
gan, Meadows, Boyer, Nugent, Newman & Barrett, Grove, 
Ladies' Lexicon, &c. 



MEDICAL BOOKS. 

A good supply usually on hand of the best Standard and most 
approved Authors — such as Wood & Bache, Dewees, Mul- 
ler, Dunglison, Dewitt, Ramsbotham, Arnott, Harrison, 
Coates, Maury, Watson, Wilson, Pereira, Ferguson, Pax- 
ton, Iberle, Lawrence, Stokes and Bell, Gooch, Liston, 
Philip, Tweedie, Gerhard, Pritchard, Velpeau, Stewart, 
Churchill, Cooper, Hooper, Ashwell, Brodie, Homer, Rigly, 
Chitty, Underwood, Ricord, Ellis, Hosack, Carpenter, Pilch- 
er, Roget, &c. 



. f :diy 



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